Formula 1 campaign on track

As work continues at a frenetic pace on Audi Sport’s coming assault on the World Formula 1 Championship, the campaign has reached another milestone with the signing on 39-year-old Swiss driver Neel Jani, as the team’s simulator driver.

Jani’s role will be crucial in the ongoing development of the highly-specialised hybrid powertrain that will that will be adopted under new Formula 1 rules which take effect from 2026.

“Just like in production development, simulation plays a major role in our Formula 1 project,” says says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development of AUDI AG.

“Our simulator is an important tool for the power unit development. It requires a development driver who in addition to a grasp of technology brings versatile experience to the project, especially in terms of energy management in racing conditions.”

Jani brings tremendous experience to the role, both in international competition at the highest level and also working with Formula 1 simulators. 

His racing credentials are impressive to say the least, with podium finishes and victories across numerous racing categories including winning the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2016 as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year. He has worked as a Formula 1 test and reserve driver for the likes of Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso, raced Formula E and stamped his authority on the Sebring 12 Hour race, Petit Le Mans as well as consistently finishing on the podium in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The importance of his role in the new Audi Sport team is not lost on the Swiss driver, who says ‘it is both an honour and great responsibility to be involved in a project of this magnitude at an early stage’. 

“I am delighted to accompany Audi on their way into Formula 1,” says Jani. “I am sure that with my experience from Formula 1 and LMP projects I can forge good links between theory and practice.” 

Working from the new purpose-built facilities at Audi Sport’s Neuburg headquarters near Ingolstadt, testing of a one-cylinder engine has been underway since the end of last year, furnishing engineers with invaluable data for the development of the power unit. This hybrid drivetrain calls for increasing electrification over the current F1 drivetrains and will see the electric motor (MGU-K) deliver nearly the same output as the efficient 1.6-litre turbo internal combustion engines which will also use sustainable synthetic fuel. 

“At the moment, we are mainly focused on fundamental concept questions with high relevance to performance,” says Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH. 

“In evaluating various technical solutions we rely not only on digital methods. Know-how, experience and practically relevant development are indispensable elements of drawing the right conclusions from the simulation,” says Baker.

With that combination, we can assess various operating strategies at an early stage and pave the way for efficient energy management of the power unit,” 

The first hybrid power unit consisting of the internal combustion engine, electric motor, battery and control electronics is planned to be run on the dyno before the end of the year.