Source & Photography: The Race Wire DispatchVerified Editorial Asset
⚡Executive Takeaways & Key Highlights
The Audi Formula 1 team has announced that veteran engineer and director Beat Zehnder will leave the operation at the end of 2026.
The 60-year-old Swiss was part of the Sauber organisation - which Audi took over to enter F1 - since even before its grand prix debut in 1993.
Official reporting verified via The Race news desk.
⚡ EDITORIAL TAKE • DAVID MILLERFormula 1 & Motorsport Telemetry Specialist
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The Audi Formula 1 team has announced that veteran engineer and director Beat Zehnder will leave the operation at the end of 2026.
📌The Core Development
The 60-year-old Swiss was part of the Sauber organisation - which Audi took over to enter F1 - since even before its grand prix debut in 1993.
He went from being a mechanic there, with its factory-backed Mercedes operation in World Sportscars, to serving as team manager for much of Sauber's time in F1.
🔍Background & Sector Context
Team founder Peter Sauber stepped away from the team in 2012 and retired in 2016, as Finn Rausing's Longbow Finance took over the team. Zehnder retained a senior role then, but shortly following Audi's takeover he transitioned to a factory-based role.
He will now exit the project entirely "following the restructuring of operations ahead of the 2027 season".
📊Industry & Real-World Impact
Zehnder, who had worked at 601 consecutive F1 grands prix, "has been a mentor to hundreds of team members and drivers who have passed through Hinwil over the years", Audi wrote.
🏎️⚡
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"We thank him for 39 years of outstanding service and wish him all the very best for the future."
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DM
David MillerVerified Editorial Staff
Formula 1 & Motorsport Telemetry Specialist
David covers Formula 1 ground-effect aerodynamics, FIA power-unit regulations, Formula E gen-spec powertrains, and Le Mans Hypercar endurance racing.
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