Audi F1 recruit ‘around 50’ tech experts including from rivals in ‘aggressive’ recruitment drive

CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH Adam Baker said they have no concerns about attracting the best talent despite their base being away from the F1 centre in the UK.

For a worldwide sport like F1, it is surprising how many teams are based within a short distance from one another.

From the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England to Aston Martin’s base beside Silverstone it is a 78-mile trip yet on your journey, you will have passed five other Formula 1 teams.

Of the 10 teams, only three (Ferrari, Alfa Romeo/Sauber, and AlphaTauri) are based outside of the UK, meaning the country has become a hot spot for the best F1 talent.

As such, for a new team like Audi who are situated in the Bavarian town of Neuburg in the southeast of Germany, there is a question as to how easy it will be to attract some of the sport’s best minds.

CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH Adam Baker is not concerned though and believes the company already has a head start.

“Regarding recruitment, what we need to recognise is the Formula 1 project for Audi Sport here in Neuburg, it’s an important transformation project,” he told PlanetF1.com.

“This means we benefited from taking around 200 highly qualified staff over from within Audi Sport into Formula 1. So this is obviously a huge boost for our ramp-up phase.

“Here in the region, we also have access to literally 1,000s of tech experts who are involved in the automotive industry here working for Audi or for suppliers.

“But to ensure we will be competitive in 2026, we want to accelerate our learning phase as much as possible and part of that strategy is an aggressive recruitment programme. So far, we’ve contracted around 50 technical experts to join us here, including from some of our competitors.”

While being situated close to other teams comes with the benefit of being able to poach their best talent, it does leave you vulnerable for the same to happen to you.

Red Bull tempted a number of Mercedes employees to swap Brackley for Milton Keynes while the current Constructors’ Champions lost their head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows to Aston Martin.

Baker sees that as a positive for Audi, admitting that recruitment is a challenge but by being away from other teams, their employees are more likely to stay for longer.

He added: “I think recruitment is always a challenge and part of that challenge is obviously if the personnel need to make a decision to move country with their family, that is certainly a consideration.

“But at the same time, it can also be seen as a disadvantage. If you’re able to change employer without moving, then the risk of potentially leaving is obviously higher.”

The Audi F1 team will be on the grid from 2026 and beyond…