Former Formula 1 driver Allan McNish has been appointed racing director of the Audi F1 team, stepping into the role after Jonathan Wheatley's departure as team principal last month.
The 56-year-old Scot, a longtime Audi employee and advisor to the company's board, has been integral to Audi's F1 project since its inception. He will assume his new duties at the Miami Grand Prix (May 1-3), overseeing sporting matters, engineering coordination, driver management, race strategy, garage operations, and on-track media and partner activities.
McNish is a three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner — once with Porsche (Audi's sister brand) and twice with Audi — and was the 2013 World Endurance Champion. He raced in F1 for Toyota in 2002 and previously served as team principal of Audi's Formula E team. He also continues to lead the company's young driver programme.
In his new role, McNish will report to Mattia Binotto, who has been named CEO and team principal of the Audi F1 team. This appointment is the latest in a series of management restructures since Audi announced its F1 entry in 2022.
"This is a marque that means a lot to me and it is an honour to be able to represent Audi and our partners on the most prestigious stage in motorsports," McNish said. "This is an exciting challenge at a pivotal moment in the history of Audi and F1, and I am looking forward to contributing even more directly to our trackside performance."
Binotto added: "Allan brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, technical understanding and leadership to this role. He has been a central part of the motorsport structure of Audi for many years and has played a key role in shaping our preparation for F1, not least with his work around technical partnerships."