Ralf Schumacher has expressed doubts about Audi's approach as the brand prepares to enter Formula 1.
The German car manufacturer, now fully owning the Swiss team Sauber and set to transform it into the official works Audi team by 2026, has been troubled by internal conflicts leading to significant leadership changes, including the replacement of Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffman by Audi CEO Gernot Dollner.
"It's a very big deal," former F1 driver Schumacher shared with Sky Deutschland. "Changing personnel even before the start is very interesting."
Observers suggest Audi's decision came as Sauber lagged significantly in the 2024 standings, failing to score even a single point to date, amid apparent discord between Seidl and Hoffman.
Schumacher suggests Seidl faced severe limitations, noting, "The Audi project was actually on the brink of collapse because there was apparently a small calculation error amounting to 1 billion. At least that's what we hear."
"The team had to be refinanced because no money was coming in. That's why the decision was made to keep Zhou Guanyu as a driver and take the money," Schumacher explained, illustrating the financial constraints that prevented any significant hires or progress.
"Accordingly, nothing could happen. They couldn't hire any people and couldn't offer any prospects. So they just let the whole thing run as it was before," said the German.
"With all the sympathy I have for the team, a lot of things have to change at Sauber. But Andi Seidl was fighting with blunt weapons at that moment," Schumacher added, sympathizing with the challenges faced.
The inclusion of experienced new boss Mattia Binotto is a positive step, Schumacher suggests, emphasizing the importance of stability in Formula 1 teams. "They just have to be aware that in Formula 1, constant personnel changes at the management level are not a good thing. It's not a corporation - it's a Formula 1 team."
"So what they've done is difficult for me to understand. Binotto is certainly someone who can do a good job, but this is also a huge task for him."
Amid these changes, Schumacher sees a potential advantage: the strong relationship between Binotto and the job-seeking Carlos Sainz, which could influence the Spaniard's long-delayed decision about where to go beyond Ferrari this year.
"Binotto is a convinced fan and friend of Sainz," he noted. "So there could also have been politics in the background. Maybe they (Sainz) said 'We would like to have this and that person to support us'. The two know each other from Ferrari and really enjoyed working together, so that could be where the wind is blowing from."
