P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger has drawn upon his experience and past examples to inform his opinion about how competitive Audi will be upon entering F1.
Gerhard Berger has expressed skepticism about Audi’s immediate competitiveness in Formula 1 in 2026, citing the challenges new entrants face and the importance of patience and minimizing mistakes. Despite Audi’s successful history in motorsport, including multiple wins at Le Mans and the Dakar Rally, expectations are high for their F1 venture. Berger highlighted the time it took for teams like Red Bull and Ferrari to become championship contenders as examples of the patience and effort required for success in F1. Audi’s CEO Andreas Seidl has emphasized the goal of competing for victories and titles in F1, but Berger believes it could take at least five years for Audi to reach the front of the grid. In Berger’s view, even with Audi’s resources and background involvement with Sauber, achieving championship success in F1 may be a gradual process, as seen with past teams like Ferrari during Schumacher’s era.
