Beat Zehnder, one of the longest-serving figures in Formula 1, will leave the Audi team at the end of 2026.
Audi announced on Friday that the 60-year-old Swiss will leave following a restructuring of its operations ahead of the 2027 season. His exit ends a link with the Hinwil team that goes back to before its first Grand Prix in 1993.
From mechanic to team manager
Zehnder started as a mechanic in Peter Sauber's sportscar team, which raced with factory backing from Mercedes in the World Sportscar Championship.
He moved with Sauber into Formula 1 and became its team manager, the person who runs the team's operation at the track. He held the role for much of Sauber's time in the championship, under its own name and as BMW Sauber.
601 races in a row
Zehnder worked at 601 consecutive Grands Prix, a run that covered every era of the Swiss team.
That included the BMW Sauber years, when Robert Kubica gave Hinwil its only Grand Prix win, at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
After Audi took over the team, he moved away from the pit wall into a role based at the factory.
What Audi said
Audi described Zehnder as a mentor to "hundreds of team members and drivers" who passed through Hinwil, and thanked him for 39 years of service.
The team did not name anyone to take over his duties.
What happens next
Audi's restructuring comes as the team prepares for its second season in Formula 1 under the German manufacturer's name. It races at the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, with the race starting at 1:30am on Monday 2 November in India.
Race it on Late Brake
The photo above was taken at Spa-Francorchamps, one of six real circuits in Late Brake. Take on Eau Rouge and the long run to Les Combes in the free browser game, follow the braking boards into the final chicane and race your own ghost until you reach a gold medal time.
Sources: Autosport, The Race, 2008 Canadian Grand Prix (Wikipedia)