Audi has confirmed that Allan McNish will become racing director of its Formula 1 team, as reported by Crash.net.

The move to instil McNish as racing director comes as part of a managerial shake-up at Audi following the unexpected departure of former team principal Jonathan Wheatley.

Wheatley suddenly exited Audi with immediate effect between the Chinese and Japanese grands prix on 20 March, leaving Audi project chief Mattia Binotto to take over team principal responsibilities while carrying out a restructure.

McNish, who was previously the director of Audi’s driver development programme, now moves into a senior role within the F1 organisation itself.

He will take responsibility for overseeing all trackside operations, including sporting matters, engineering coordination, driver management, race strategy and garage operations. 

“It is a privilege to take on the role of Racing Director for Audi Revolut F1 Team: 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 Formula One, and I am looking forward to contributing even more directly to our trackside performance.

“The project we are building is ambitious, and my focus will be on ensuring that all aspects of our race operations are delivering at their most competitive level and continuously improving. 

“Together with our Driver Development Programme, to which I remain fully committed, my focus will be on implementing the building blocks for our success, under the direction of Mattia and the Board of Directors.”

The 56-year-old Scott raced in F1 with Toyota in 2002 and also enjoyed a successful sportscar career, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in 1998, 2008 and 2013.

McNish has had a long-standing relationship with Audi and served as team principal of its Formula E squad, leading the team to the championship title in the 2017-2018 season.

“Allan brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, technical understanding and leadership to this role,” added Binotto. 

“He has been a central part of the motorsport structure of Audi for many years and, in his roles within Audi Revolut F1 Team since its start, has played a key role in shaping our preparation for Formula One, not least with his work around technical partnerships.

“This appointment strengthens our trackside leadership at a crucial stage of our project. Allan’s ability to connect all performance-related areas – from sporting operations to driver development – will be fundamental as we continue to build our team.”

Audi sits eighth in the constructors’ championship after the opening three rounds of the 2026 F1 season, with Gabriel Bortoleto’s ninth-place finish in Australia marking the German marque’s only points so far. 

Audi has confirmed that Allan McNish will become racing director of its Formula 1 team, as reported by Crash.net.

The move to instil McNish as racing director comes as part of a managerial shake-up at Audi following the unexpected departure of former team principal Jonathan Wheatley.

Wheatley suddenly exited Audi with immediate effect between the Chinese and Japanese grands prix on 20 March, leaving Audi project chief Mattia Binotto to take over team principal responsibilities while carrying out a restructure.

McNish, who was previously the director of Audi’s driver development programme, now moves into a senior role within the F1 organisation itself.

He will take responsibility for overseeing all trackside operations, including sporting matters, engineering coordination, driver management, race strategy and garage operations. 

“It is a privilege to take on the role of Racing Director for Audi Revolut F1 Team: 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 Formula One, and I am looking forward to contributing even more directly to our trackside performance.

“The project we are building is ambitious, and my focus will be on ensuring that all aspects of our race operations are delivering at their most competitive level and continuously improving. 

“Together with our Driver Development Programme, to which I remain fully committed, my focus will be on implementing the building blocks for our success, under the direction of Mattia and the Board of Directors.”

The 56-year-old Scott raced in F1 with Toyota in 2002 and also enjoyed a successful sportscar career, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in 1998, 2008 and 2013.

McNish has had a long-standing relationship with Audi and served as team principal of its Formula E squad, leading the team to the championship title in the 2017-2018 season.

“Allan brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, technical understanding and leadership to this role,” added Binotto. 

“He has been a central part of the motorsport structure of Audi for many years and, in his roles within Audi Revolut F1 Team since its start, has played a key role in shaping our preparation for Formula One, not least with his work around technical partnerships.

“This appointment strengthens our trackside leadership at a crucial stage of our project. Allan’s ability to connect all performance-related areas – from sporting operations to driver development – will be fundamental as we continue to build our team.”

Audi sits eighth in the constructors’ championship after the opening three rounds of the 2026 F1 season, with Gabriel Bortoleto’s ninth-place finish in Australia marking the German marque’s only points so far.