Audi names Thomas Fuhr CEO of Audi Formula Racing, the Neuburg company building its F1 power unit
Thomas Fuhr will become CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH on November 1, taking charge of the Neuburg an der Donau company that develops and manufactures the power unit for Audi's Formula 1 project.
- More than three decades
- Around 3,000 square meters
- More than 20
- 16 kilometers
What Happened
Thomas Fuhr will become CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH starting on November 1. The company is based in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany, where it develops and manufactures the power unit for Audi's Formula 1 project. The appointment strengthens the leadership structure of Audi's F1 programme: Stefan Dreyer will focus on the technical development of the Audi F1 Power Unit, while Christian Foyer continues to oversee operations at the Neuburg site. Mattia Binotto, CEO and Team Principal of the Audi Revolut F1 Team, said Fuhr understands both the technical challenge and what it takes to build and lead high-performing teams.
- Thomas Fuhr strengthens the leadership structure of Audi's Formula 1 project
- Fuhr brings more than three decades of engineering and leadership experience to Audi Formula Racing in Neuburg
- Stefan Dreyer to focus on the technical development of the Audi F1 Power Unit
- Christian Foyer continues to oversee operations at the Neuburg site
Thomas Fuhr serves as Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains.
Fuhr holds senior executive positions at GROHE and LIXIL.
The Audi Neuburg site opens, later becoming the base of Audi Formula Racing.
Audi Formula Racing GmbH is founded specifically for Audi's Formula 1 project.
Thomas Fuhr starts as CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH.
“Audi's Formula 1 project is a long-term strategic commitment and the continued development of our organization and leadership is fundamental to our ambitions. This appointment further strengthens the structure we have established at Audi Formula Racing. I am very pleased to welcome Thomas to the team and am confident he will make an important contribution to the continued development of our Formula 1 program.”
“I am proud to join Audi's Formula 1 project. The chance to help shape Audi's future in the sport is what makes this opportunity so exciting. The team in Neuburg has developed an entirely new power unit and brought it to the track. I want to build on that work by bringing together expertise across the organization and creating the conditions for us to compete at the highest level. I look forward to working with Mattia, Christian, Stefan and the entire team.”
Audi Formula Racing GmbH (AFR) was founded in 2022 specifically for Audi's Formula 1 project and is responsible for developing and manufacturing the complete drivetrain, including the hybrid drive system and gearbox. It is based at the Audi Neuburg site, which opened in 2014 and lies just 16 kilometers from AUDI AG headquarters in Ingolstadt; the site previously hosted Audi's DTM, Le Mans, Dakar Rally and Formula E programmes. Existing Audi Sport infrastructure has been modernized and expanded for the F1 project, including a new building of around 3,000 square meters of floor space for test facilities, specialized workshops and laboratories. Neuburg is the only operational site of an F1 project in Germany and has been awarded a three-star environmental certification by the FIA, the highest level under FIA guidelines.
More than 20
State-of-the-art test benches at the site where Audi develops and builds its Formula 1 power unit.
Why this matters
The role puts a three-decade engineering and manufacturing veteran in charge of the organisation behind Audi's first Formula 1 power unit, a project Audi's CFO describes as a long-term strategic commitment. It affects the engineers and staff working on that power unit in Neuburg and shapes how Audi intends to operate as a Formula 1 manufacturer.
Terms in This Story
- Power unit
- The complete energy system that propels a racing car, covering the combustion engine and its hybrid elements; in Formula 1 it is developed and supplied as a single package.
- FIA three-star environmental certification
- An environmental accreditation awarded by the FIA, motorsport's world governing body, graded in star levels, with three stars the highest under its guidelines.
- Formula 1 power unit
- The engine-plus-hybrid assembly a Formula 1 team or manufacturer builds to the series' technical rules and supplies to its cars.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.