Eclectic and experienced 39-year-old racer, Neel Jani, joins the German automaker on its journey towards Formula One, assisting with the new hybrid powertrain development.
En route to Audi’s entry to Formula One in 2026, the manufacturer seems to have found in the Swiss driver a perfect fit, someone who is no stranger to taking on new challenges.
“I am delighted to accompany Audi on their way into Formula 1,” Jani said.
“It is both an honor and a great responsibility to be involved in a project of this magnitude at an early stage. I am sure that my experience from Formula 1 and LMP projects can forge good links between theory and practice.”
Jani owns an extended resume in a range of motorsports programs, including the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), which he won in 2016 as a member of the Porsche factory team, as well as the iconic 24-hour race at Le Mans.
Also, a former F1 test and reserve driver at Red Bull Racing, the Rorschach native will focus on concept work and energy management, driving in the simulator at Neuburg.
In that regard, Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development of AUDI AG, asserted: “Just like in production development, simulation plays a major role in our Formula 1 project.”
“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.”
On a strategic partnership, Audi, which acquired a minority stake in Sauber, will work with the Swiss Group on its Formula One project to enter the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2026 when new technical rules come into effect.
With the focus on greater electrification, the power unit’s electric share will increase by up to 50 percent, as the use of advanced sustainable synthetic fuel, targeting to becoming a more cost-efficient series.
Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH, outlined: “At the moment, we are mainly focused on fundamental concept questions with high relevance to performance.
“However, 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. 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.”
Meeting Neel Jani
Following triumphs at the Le Man’s series in 2011 and 2012, as in 2013, when he won the Petit Le Mans at the legendary Road Atlanta in the USA, the Swiss joined Porsche as a works driver that same year, breaking new ground in 2014, competing at the wheel of Porsche 919 on its Hybrid’s inaugural season.
Together, they won four races, earning nine pole positions and four fastest race laps.
And in 2018, he would brake the track record at Spa-Francorchamps beating the then Formula One benchmark on board the 919 Hybrid Evo.
Furthermore, he became an instrumental part of the Porsche Motorsport Formula E program, contributing with his single-seater experience behind the wheel of Formula E machinery.
The team’s debut in the all-electric series marked the first electric-powered Porsche race car to enter the electrical and digital era; all powertrain components were developed individually in-house at Porsche.
Meanwhile, the vehicle and battery unit remained standardized for all teams on the grid according to the series rules.
Jani was the first driver to be signed by the squad for the sixth season (2019/20) of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, joined by Andre Lotterer, completing the line-up.
By 2030, Formula One, the pinnacle of motorsport, aims to become a carbon-neutral racing series.