Audi has promoted Allan McNish to Racing Director of their Formula 1 team, with the former Toyota F1 driver set to begin his new role at the Miami Grand Prix. The appointment comes as the German manufacturer restructures its senior leadership following Jonathan Wheatley’s unexpected departure from the Team Principal position nearly a year after joining the organization.
McNish, who made 17 Formula 1 starts with Toyota in 2002, has been deeply involved with Audi’s motorsport operations for years and played a key role in the company’s F1 project from its inception. The Scottish driver previously served as director of coordination for Audi Group Motorsport, led their Formula E team as Team Principal, and most recently headed the Driver Development Programme, which he will continue alongside his new responsibilities.
In his new position, McNish will report directly to CEO and Team Principal Mattia Binotto and oversee critical areas including sporting matters, engineering coordination, driver management, race strategy, and garage operations. He will also handle on-track media and partner activities as Audi continues building their factory team around the former Sauber outfit for their 2026 F1 debut.
Binotto praised McNish’s appointment, stating he “brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, technical understanding and leadership to this role” and has been “a central part of the motorsport structure of Audi for many years.” The restructuring creates a more traditional hierarchy with McNish reporting to Binotto, rather than the previous collaborative approach used with Wheatley, allowing Binotto to focus on leading Audi’s inaugural F1 campaign and developing their first-ever Formula 1 power unit.