Another key per💧son behind Audi’s F1 entry is set to depart, two years before the car giants finally join the grid.

Chief development off🌠icer Oliver Hoffmann is set for the exit, German newspaper reports.

It is a signif✤icant blow because Markus Duesmann, theꦉ CEO who led Audi towards F1, has already left his job.

CDO Hoffman’s contract had been extended as recently as la🦄st year but he now faces being forced out of Audi, the report states.

He disagrees with new Audi CEO Gernot Dollner 🦩over the company’s future.

Hoffm🅘an is also carrying the responsibility for poor sales figures. Cars planned under his leadership have either been postponed or have not sold as successfully as hoped.

The Volkswagen🌌 Group🎀's Supervisory Board will have the final say on Hoffman’s future at the beginning of March.

The new CEO w𒁏ants to move Hoffman into Audi’s F1 project instead.

He was p🧸resent when Audi announced its plan to enter F1 in 2026.

But there is confusion ove☂r the idea of moving Hoffman into F1, because Andreas Seidl is currently working as the CEO of the team known as Sauber who will evol♍ve into Audi in 2026.

Rumours within F1 continue that Audi’s planned entry into𝓀 F1 in two years is still not 100% and they could withdraw.

The new Audi CEO Dollner is reportedly꧙ open to selling the Sauber shares which would enable Audi to U-turn on thei🧸r F1 plan without reputational damage.

The booming finances in F1 make itꦕ a good time to sell up. Audi bought their share in Sauber for a reported €600m.