Wolf to Audi! F1 team poach key manager from rivals

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Wolf to Audi! F1 team poach key manager from rivals

Audi beef up F1 team ahead of 2026 arrival

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 12 September 2025 08:59

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Audi F1 team have acquired a key figure from one of their rivals in a major swoop ahead of their entry to the sport in 2026.

Next season, new regulations will be introduced to all the teams on the F1 grid, which will include Audi as they complete their transition from Sauber and also American outfit Cadillac as they become the 11th team in the championship.

A regulation overhaul offers a fresh start for all competitors and in the past, the changes have completely switched up the order of the sport.

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After a record-breaking run of eight consecutive constructors' titles and seven drivers' championships, Mercedes became a victim of the 2022 regulations change, with Red Bull emerging as the team to beat once again.

But early on in the new era, Ferrari appeared competitive, with Charles Leclerc finishing the 2022 campaign in second place behind Max Verstappen.

And now, as the Scuderia hope to hit the ground running with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the new era of F1, they have lost one of the names attached to the creation of their 2022 engine- Wolf Zimmermann.

Ferrari lose out to ex-F1 boss

Zimmermann has been an instrumental figure in Ferrari's engine department since joining from Mercedes in 2014, working under Maurizio Arrivabene, Mattia Binotto and now, Fred Vasseur. But following Binotto's exit from the Scuderia and appointment at Sauber, the ex-Ferrari boss has snapped up Zimmermann to join him as the Swiss team transitions to Audi F1 team for 2026 and beyond.

Italian publication Corriere Della Sera reported: "At the end of the season, he [Zimmermann] will leave together with his deputy Lars Schmidt to move to Mattia Binotto's Audi, which is looking for experienced technicians to accelerate its entry into Formula 1."

The German engineer played an instrumental role in Ferrari's efforts to adapt during the hybrid era and had reportedly been tasked with leading the 2026 preparations years ago, but now he will leave to assist with Audi's project.

The German automotive giant are already set on their first driver lineup, with Sauber's current duo of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, also Zimmermann's countryman, contracted until the end of 2026.

Next season provides a reset for all struggling teams and drivers on the grid, with Ferrari's newest arrival Hamilton already focusing on next year's car in the hope that it will bolster his chances of making it to the top of the standings in red.

Both the seven-time champion and his new F1 team will be hoping that the loss of their Head of ICE Research And Development will not negatively impact their performance next season.

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