Audi Ambition and Future Outlook

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Call one eight hundred Ganger, click ranger. com or just stop by Ranger for the ones who get it done SomeTack presents Uncertainty strikes I was surrounded. The aisle and the options were closing in There were paint rollers, satin and matte finish, angle brushes and natural bristles. There were too many choices. What if I never got my living room painted What if I couldn't figure out what type of paint to use? What if I just used phone tack I can hire a top rated pro that knows everything about interior paint. easily compare prices and read reviews. Thumbtag knows Homes Download the app today I am standing in the middle of the Formula One paddock, the very heart of the sport. This is where you'll find the drivers, the engineers, the mechanics and everyone involved in this weekend's Grand Prix, including me, Christian Hugill. Hello. The paddock is sort of like a small town which moves around the world and each team has a home here. When we race in Europe, the teams bring A motor home with them. You'll have seen them on the TV. Huge buildings, each the size of a very big house. painted with team colours, covered in sponsors, usually full of people sitting around and having coffee. I promise they're doing some work as well. They are amazing bits of architecture, especially when you consider they're temporary. They're built for every European race weekend and then they're pulled down afterwards, put in a container and take it to the next track So many F one explains listeners have questions about these motor homes and how they travel around the world, including Get ready everybody. Leah in France, Matthew from Texas, Mike from New York. Todd from Maryland. Rob from Maryland. Aarently there's lot ofotorhome interest in Maryland. Another Rob from Texas. Nancy from Niagara Falls, Miranda from North Dakota. Aswyin from India, Preston from Washington, DC, Jocelyn from Vancouver, Paul from Calgary Alex from reading, plus Jennifer and Kira, we don't know where they're from, but welcome to F one exxplains and welcome. Ai where outside we find Alan McNish. Alan, it is a total joy to have you here. Thank you for hosting us here and I oneone explains. Yeah, Thankk you very much and it's also great to hear there' so many questions about how we travel around the world as well. They are just questions that have come in about the motor homes specifically. They are a curious bunch our listeners, Alan Well you're living in the nineties and the two thousands if you're calling them a motor homeome. But's an old adage in that respect, but now these are a little bit more than a motor homeome. Motorhomes for actually there was a lot of American listeners there. in the US. they still use physically motorhomes as their bed. The drivers stay in them over the course of the weekend. That's a different situation over here in Formula one But at the same time as well, these are full structures as opposed to something that you can jump in, switch on and drive off into the distance to the next Grand Prix. Absolutely. Well, Alan, we call this podcast F one explains Explain to us, what's the more up to date terminology This is actually our hospitality unit. Hpitality unit. hospitable people. That's what it's all about. Very hospitable people. Alan, you're going to take us in a moment just for those new to Formula One. Aiia a new name to Formula One. Explain your role, your job title and what you do here. Uh, I would e has joined Formula One at the beginning of this year. It's the first time actually entering into Formula one itself. It's obviously got a great history in the sport across the board from rallying through to touring car to sports car racing to DAC car to Formula E. but this is the first time into Formula one itself. I've been with Audi as a driver since two thousand 've been with a Forma One project since the very beginning of it when it was just an idea in a few people's heads and then the ultimate execution of it now the racing director of the team Alan, it's lovely to see you here. and of course, one thing you've graciously missed off that list of your skills is former former onene driver with Toyota Alan as somebody who fell in love with Fone in the late nineties and two thousands, I do like it when we have someone from my a. I said this the other week we had one problem on Toya on. So you've driven these cars, you know what it's like? Yeah, yeah, no, no, definitely. And it's definitely something that from any driver's career when they're a young kid in cartving or coming through the sport, you always look to see what ideally you want to achieve at some point in your memory or you know, your thoughts. and from a single seater point of view, it is formula onene, there's no question about it. And to sit in one of those cars strap yourself in for the first time in your career is a memory you will never forget. There's a lot of other memories you would like to forget, but that particular one is one you will never, ever forget. I'm sure you've had more ups and downs. Now Alan, let's go back hospitality units Are these team buildings permanent or temporary? No of these are temporary units because effectively they go from all of the European races. We are in Barcelona here this weekend. It's Thursday afternoon. On Sunday night, I walked out of this particular unit in Monaco at the Grand Prix. And so between that time it's been dismantled in Monaco driven to Barcelona and erected here again for this weekend. It is funny, isn't it? Because I've never been in here, but when you do go in the other teams units, you don't feel like you're in a temporary unit. you feel like you're in a room and we all get used to rooms as human beings, don't we? And therefore it's really weird stepping out of that room into a completely different surrounding. Yeah, well you're stepping out of France going into Spain effectly you plug your computer back in and it just works as if it was just literally yesterday. And it's the same when we go from here to Spielberg to Austria and it'll be so for us it is in a way a home away from home. It is where we work. It's our office,' Its place where we sit down and have dinner, it's where we have our meetings. It's where we sort of relax. It's also where we host all of our VIPs and guests that are coming through the partners of the team. And so it's a multifunctional place, but it's one that is integral to the way that we go are racing How long does it take to build and deconstruct these because as we stand outside it, it looks permanent. It looks like the sort of thing that if you told me take that down, it would take months. And yet we know that's not the case. No, it's not. So roughly they take about two days to take down in two days to put back up again. So back to back weekends like we have here are actually quite a stretch for the teams to be able to achieve that. And it is a race in a lot of ways and a Grand Prix but it's also a race then to bring everything the whole infrastructure, not just necessarily our hospitality unit, but also the trucks and everything else to get to the next Grand Prix. And you mentioned the next Grand Prix, How did they get there They drive. They literally pack them onto trucks and then they will drive from here to whereatever that Grand Prix happens to be And so we've effectively got like a setup unit that will come here in advance put the base down and then when the rest of the structure arrives then it's just sat on top a little bit like a Lego construction, if you like. and then the trucks are waiting for it to go to the next room P from there. Now I'm fortunate enough, Alan to have been in every other team's hospitality unit except for yours because yours is new. I was in the old one. Your lovely team, as you've said before, a very hospitable but I've never been in this one. So we're about to have a tour Before we step inside, Alan, let's go for a quick break Have you ever considered surrounding your house with a moat to keep it safe? Would you hire professional wrestler as a bodyguard for your car? Okay, maybe you wouldn't go that far But if you'd go to great lengths to avoid dealing with your insurance company You might have insoranoia And if you have insuranoia, you should have NJM insurance They go to great lengths to do what's best for their policyholders. Start relieving your insure anoia today injM. com Wow, you're still drinking soda H seeivia creamy root beer Isn't soda full of sugar and that? Nah Zeppe doesn't have sugar or fig like other sodas. Okay, but does it taste like Here tryry one Oh. This is delicious. Tlda. Zevia. It's soda made better. No. Bind Zivvia creamy root beer, orange cream sickle, and more flavors at your local grocery store Welcome back to F one Explains, and today we are looking at the wonderful world of Formula One teeams hospitality units. I'm with the Audi racing director, Alan McNish. Alan, it's a shiny new building that we're about to step inside of I've never done this before. Are you happy to give F one explains a little tour of your shiny new building? I think we should comeome on b. Let's go inside. Now this could be interesting in a number of levels because we're not a small podcasting unit. Proucer Jamie's got a massive, great big box with him, so this should be interesting. There's somebody waiting for us on the front desk. Hello, what's your name? Hello hi nice to meet Nicole. Hello Nicole. Have people been nice about your new motor homeome Yes, they are super excited about our excellent Allan. I've done the thing again and I've called it out of home lose point You're definitely not going to get cup of your coffee that' for sure. you get the messaging inc correct. Now we're in here in the ground floor section of it and as you walk in, you sort of get the feeling of Audi, the premium nature of the brand and that brand runs through everything that we do. And it's a clear important point because it's the first touch point for many people into our world of the Audi Revolute forormula one team. And so therefore it has to look the part as well as be functional. On the ground floor here, it's quite an open space. There's lots of tables This here on the right hand side is we come in is a lounge area, seating area, nice and relaxed, a couple of little sort of lie back chairs table. and actually I'm surprised how many people just sit down there just to take a few minutes to take their own breath as well. And to catch up that's people that are either working with the team or alternatively others that are just here having some fun like yourself. Immediately after the little desk, there's a staircase to the left. there's this seating area that Alan's just beautifully described on the right. The thing that I always enjoy Alan about the detailed nature of the Formula One teams is Even the seating is in the Audi colours. You've got the Audi reds, the Audi grreay.ese I don't even know what you call these. They're like seats, but they're just very round. They look comfortable. I They are comfortable as well. It's even the tiny little dails that they're in the right colour and they're beautifully comfortable. They have been checked They have been comfort checked. and they were checked as comfortable. so you're okay there. That's someone's job. someone's job is checking whether they are comfortable or not. Hello, I'm a comfort checker. I' literally about to have a comfort checker for Formula onene. Behind the chairs, we've got the tables where it looks like we've just had lunch, Is that correct? Yes, it is. So basically here is where the team have lunch, It's where they sometimes have dinner night alsoso we host guests for special team dinners as well, very exclusive ones and it's in here with our catering service as well. Excellent. So lunch has just been served. Do we know what was on the menu today, G? There was a lot of salad, there was some chicken and there was also some spagheti bologise. Well, it wasn't spaghetti bologese, it was it Alex It's for Pallally Bolnese, apparently and a vegetable curdry. And so there' a multitude of different things depending on your appetite and your taste. N never even heard of Far Valley Fantastic. excellent. There's also a coffee machine. Formula One teams get very competitive about which coffee is the best in my experience. Well I don't even know why you're even saying that, which coffee is the best, you know, which one it is. It's this one. Gon, what are your credentials? Well, the best part about this one is we had a fantastic little machine there and we could put your face onto the cappuccino. So then when you took your first sip of cappuccino Your face was actually sitting on there or the idea Reolute F one team logo or whatever it may be. Can I tell you something? I don't know how this is going to get down McCLaren did that with theirs in Miami for me and they put my dog on the coffee. Can you dog? My dog? Yeah, I've got a six month old puppy called Derek. That's very nice. Would you guys put the dog on the coffee?. Then'll be my favourite. forget McLaren. Well,'vegot them already. Exactly you and the dog. The picture of you and the dog are on there. This is the competitive nature of Formula One. They're trying to one up themselves Lovely. Sh we leave them We and we should come down this way because then as it comes back, there's obviously a depth to this place as well And so, you know, being some restrooms to our side here. Always helpful. Yep. Very important for the guys that we've got a fridge, just different things and guess what another coffee machine. Coffee machine I like that you've got two coffee maches., we've got multiples, donon't worry. But this is something that I really like. It's a cold plate. So if you think of it like a hot plate to keep your plates warm and keep food warm, this is actually one that keeps everything cool as well. Your level of detailed knowledge of this, I know fundamentally your jobs the motoring side of, but you know every little detail about this motor homeome, I'm really impressed. Well you kind of do when you see it being built up over a period of time. you know these things are not just sort of bought off the shelf, they're actually designed specifically for the needs. So therefore it went through a whole load of planning process to make sure it was exactly as we wanted it And that's the detail. L in your own kitchen at home, if you're fortunate enough to be able to sort of do a bespoke kitchen, then you will have things exactly as you want have a culplate. I didn't think when I was watching F one in the two thousands that Alan McNish would once talk me through the design of a culplate, but I'm really glad you have it. was We justait till we get to the kitchen mate . Yeah, we'll give you a quick sneak view into the kitchen. This is where the magic actually happens in here in terms of that And I don't know if you can see, but there's your full faly by. It's a Fally Oh, it looks lovely. Can we? It looks like past. It does look like spaghetti bologise but apparently isn't smells divine as well. It's a proper industry grade kitchen Well, you wouldn't know you aboutre a formmera one race. No, it's a fully funional kitchen. Apparently the Ffali' very good. Yeah, it's very good. What's in a Ffali Aleic You're gonna have to help me Is it a meate? Is it? No, We're doing pallella for tomorrow and Al. what's your name? Nata? It's lovely to meet you. You're one of the chefs. Yeah. Great to meet you.. Good luck with it. Thankk you very much. I'm still not fully sure what Paly is Alan. I can't know it. Well, you've got the past and then you've got the different sources from it. That's fine, excellent. o Okay, Great. if we go upstairs to the first floor. So we're moving away from out the kitchen upstairs. Yeah, this is the backstairs Because you've got to have different stairwells obviously in terms of safety regulations and here we've got an area that is enormous that opens up and Again, a little bit like downstairs, there's tables in front of us, different size tables, you know, you've got ten seating tables, you've got four seating tables, you've got a sort of bench bar where it looks onto various television monitors you can watch the race or whatever it may be I've got a lot of thoughts. Number one, it doesn't look like it's this big from the outside. I'm fairly sure this is something like a Tardis if you're a doctor Who fan. You've also got likeike a full on sim room with big glass red panels seepparating it, it's beautiful in the Audi, silver and red. It really is gorgeous. This is lovely. Yeah, it is you know, this syrom It's got two racing Ss in it it's I would say predominly for guesss, however, in Monaca I did see Dbb going in there setting up and having to go himself. So I think there you actually see the sort of integration of it in some ways But it's interesting how You know, this side of the digital world is obviously coming into our motorsporting world simulation and simulators are a major part about how we develop cars. Now it's certainly not these are not on that particular level because the buildings that are used for those are significantly larger. However, you do like to bring that to the race as well. Absolutely. It looks fantastic in this magical seating area. On floor number one. D want to explain to us who's over on the far right hand side? We've got Gaby and Jose, who iss Gabrielle Bortoletto and ose who iss his engineer and Roberto on the other side is actually working with him as well. So they're having their little team meeting at the moment. So you know, when I said it's functional, Drivers use it not necessarily just to sit down to have you to have lunch or whatever it may be, but actually it's a functional unit where some of the meetings are going because it's a quiet calm space as well where you can think. In the truck, in the garage, it's all busy, there's a lot of action and you know that absorbs your energy. So you know there's always a point where you've got to try and relax can conserve a little bit of energy as well. And as we said, Alen, you've been in Gabby' shoes. Imagine that's a difficult mix for a Formula one driver sometometimes when you need to come in here just have a place to talk to your team and be, but also there are VIP guests, there might be competition wners, there might be doing podcasts, it must be a difficult balance when sometimes you want to switch yourself off and talk to the world. Motorsport probably the only sport where you combinees I would say that style as you said and the actual sporting side. So if you think of a driver on the grid, and then think of the World Cup final that's going to be happening in the US in a few weeks time You know, you don't see any of the players seven minutes before or ten minutes before doing an interview in live television, global TV, but actually it's natural and normal and expected and correct in Formula onene. And so from that point of view, they've got a fantastic ability to detach what they're actually doing and still keep the focus on the actual job itself However You know, we try to make sure that they have got their space because ultimately racing drivers are there to race And so therefore that's job number one. Absolutely. Now there is something a little bit different about your new hospitality unit speaking of the drivers because in some of the paddock hospitality units, the drivers have their own room in these buildings that's reserved for them You've got that, but it's not here, is it? No, no, no. We actually have that across in our truck area where the trucks are just on the other side literally fives away five meter walk. It's not very far. But therefore we've got a separation point and it's partly that as well. They are separated. They can go there, it's their own space There' arguments for both sides of things. however, for us, we have got we feel a pretty good balance of that. And ultimately, you know what we've tried to do here is have flexible. operating areas as well. And so as you can see with Gabby and Nicoy here later with his engineering crew as well, they'll sit down and utilize it in that flexible way. You've just touched upon it, but Formula One weekends are so intense for drivers. evenven we're recording this as you mentioned on a Thursday of a race weekend. He's got a whole weekend ahead of him, lotots of driving. It must be nice to have those spaces to go and sort of be in your own headspace for a little bit Yeah, or just switch off Yes actually take ten seconds so that you're not doing anything. And then sort of reset and go on from there. And it's very important, but it's not just necessarily them. I think everybody is flat out all the course of a weekend. From Thursday when you arrive until Sunday night when you leave, every single person in the team is, you know flat out. and that's one of the things that I love about this sport is that there's never really a time to rest. You've always got to be working Absolutely. Alan is there anywhere I should? Yes That definitely is. There's one other place Be you love the kitchen so much. look to your right here. another kitchen. We have got an open plan kitchen as well. so the chefs will prepare the foods in front. and this because this actually is an area where our VIPs are predominantly sitting and having lunch, then they can see everything being prepared in front of them. And that's another thing that I personally like a lot about it because it is that sort of I would say brings it together as a sort of more of a family feelie than something that's now prepared and sort of then brought out from the back. It's actually there in front of you You can see it as it's evolving. And then there's another staircase which yes there is. So then we've got a third floor which we can't go up to at the moment because we've got stuff going on up there, but upstairs We've got various meeting rooms, a boardroom, and also a beautiful deck, which has got one of the coolest things that you will ever see in your life. You touch a button and so this patio door just slides up sh It is full Star Wars. It's a tabo building. It's ridiculous So then there's a nice outdoor space as well where you can sit where you could have dinner, where you could have lunch where you can just sit and relax a little bit And let's just take a quick sit down before we finish because we may have been quite lighthearted with a lot of this and had fun with it and you know gone into the kitchen and things. but there's been something that's truly impressed me about the Audi project ever since it was started to be spoken about and that's the ambition of it. I'm guessing things like this which might on the face of it not seem as important are really important for you guys setting your standards in this sport. I think there's two aspects to that. One is it is definitely the way we want to go racing And that is absolutely premium, top quality from the beginning to the end of the project. And the second factor is it's got to actually represent us as well in Formula O, but generally. And I think this facility definitely does that. There's no question about it. What we have done in the design and build process is look at some of the core values as well that we've got as a team. and to integrate those. And that also includes the way we build it up, the way we pack it down, the way we transport it around Europe. And it's something that I think know took a long time to be able to get it to the standard that it is in terms of design and build, but now it's here it is that statement that we wanted to put forward. And just finally, Alan, we should talk to just one question on the racing side of things. I think coming into these new regulations There was so much talk about Cadillac being a new team, about new engine suppliers with the likes of Red Bull partnering with Ford, for example I think it sort of went a bit under the radar at the start of the season that you guys are a totally new engine supplier, being a works team as it's called for the first time, making your own engine For me personally, the reason for that is because it all seemed to go so smoothly. you were very similar levels of competitiveness to what you were last year while making your own engine as opposed to buying one in to me, that's truly impressive. Now I know that you'll want to push further on But it strikes me that the start of this works Audi journey, you must be very pleased with. Well, I think there's two parts. It's where you start and where you end up. We're obviously very much focused where we want to end up, not necessarily where we are today. And everybody's really working hard for that. However, at the same time basically started working on the power unit because Audi was the first power unit C company to sign in to the new regulations. They were the ones that signed on the dotted line first And so from that point of view, that was a big commitment, but also it was a lot of work in the background. and that's the thing because you know, Formula One was running on for a few years. whil this was in preparation in the background. Now I think we've definitely shown some speed and there's no question about it, but we're but a company that I also, you know, where a group of people. that are just not satisfied unless you're winning And so therefore everybody's got the energy and focus to do that. But certainly, you know getting points in Melbourne and the first ever Grand Prix was a good starter. Absolutely. And one final final question, I don't think I can speak to a Scotsman on the weekend we' recording this, where the World Cup starting without asking arere you a football fan? Yes, and the first games against Brazil and we've got a Brazilian driver. And he thinks they arere going to win, but they've an overwhelming chanceces. but they've got no chance. Absolutely none. I've got my Scotland top ready I was wearing it last week. I'll be wearing it next Wednesday night and that's it. It's going to be a Scotland victory against Brazil. I've got a Scotland Worup topp Everybody should have. Despite being an Englishman, I' about to marry a Scotsman. so I'm about to consider myself an adoptive Scotan. Are you Scott? Yeah. Mar Gre in green? We got very specific here. get married on a boat in Edinburgh. am Yeahah next year on the first or fourth. Well a boat called Fingle, which is in Leak. Really? Yeah Yeah, the boat doesn't go anyhere. it just sits there It sits there. But yeah, there's I don't know how controversial this is as Englishman would be saying Because I'm about to be married into a Scottish family, I've got more than a soft spot for the Scottish football team. So I'll be also keeping I'll be wishing you well against Brazil.,ll put it that way. Alan, this has been an utter pleasure. Thank you so much for being so gracious with your time in showing us around. It's great to have Al in the sport, Great to have you here in this role, Alan. We we really appreciate you taking the time to show us around and Ione explains. Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing you all soon Racing director of Audi's Formula One team, Alan McNish there Can I be honest with you Eone explains, listeners? justust between us best possible way That was one of the strangest experiences of my life And don I mean that wonderfully strange way because you know if you're a regular listener to this podcast, I bang on about it all the time I grew up watching F one in the nineties and two thousands And it was great seeing Alan McNish come in because you know, a Scotsman coming into F one as well as a Brit. I obviously loved that And then all these years later, I find myself wandering around the kitchen with him and I was I always get blown away by the passion in Formula One, but They want to beat each other with absolutely everything. The pride ex forormula one driver Alan McNish talalks The kitchen And the cold plate is just like, yeah