Audi has big ambitions in Formula 1, but it is still building toward them. After 18 races, the team is in eighth place with 23 points, closer to Haas in seventh than Alpine in sixth. Veteran driver Nico Hülkenberg has scored 13 points so far, while Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, now in his second F1 season, has scored 10. Audi’s long-term goal is to fight for championships by 2030.

That’s according to Allan McNish, Audi’s racing director. He oversees trackside operations and sporting matters, supporting CEO and team principal Mattia Binotto’s work on the long-term plan. McNish is focused on helping the team make the most of each race weekend, talking to the drivers and engineers, and securing the best strategy. You might spot him on TV during F1 races, sitting on the pit wall and working with the team.

And he knows a thing or two about winning. McNish has three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and multiple wins at the Sebring 12 Hours, Petit Le Mans, and Silverstone 1000km. He led Audi’s Formula E team before the automaker withdrew from the series after the 2020–21 season, and recently served as director of its driver development program.

During our interview, which took place during the U.S. Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, McNish recognized the car’s weakness is straight-line speed, while its strength is cornering, especially at medium and high speeds. Audi has rolled out updates over the season, but some hardware is homologated at the beginning of the year and can’t be changed. The team has also faced reliability issues.

After a reliability problem in Singapore left Bortoleto frustrated, McNish said it was important for the driver to understand what had gone wrong and what the team was doing to fix it.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to keep doing exactly what you were doing before, not change it, and not start questioning. Because if you start questioning, your focus goes from what’s ahead to what’s behind,” McNish said. “We need to make sure that he’s got the full understanding of why we had the problem, and also what we’ve done and what we’re doing to rectify the different parts. That builds confidence and trust with a driver and team.”

Keeping the drivers focused on each race, even after reliability issues, is an important part of McNish’s job. He knows that an opportunity for a big result can come unexpectedly, and the whole team needs to be ready when it does.

“I’m more focused on ensuring that when the opportunity comes around … the team is ready, and the drivers are ready and prepared, and have the structure to be able to take it,” he said, pointing to Nico Hülkenberg’s rain-soaked podium at Silverstone last year. “What we are doing now is building that team so that it’s robust, so that it’s ready. We need to work on our structure at the personnel level, making sure they’ve got the right tools to deliver when the chances come.”

McNish expects the same four teams to remain at the front next season, but says Audi needs to improve in all areas, including hardware and aerodynamics. For now, the team is focused on fighting for Q3 spots and points, where the competition is tight.

Audi’s rookie F1 season is off to a decent start, but there’s still work to do. In the meantime, McNish and his team are focused on building toward the championship goal—and being ready when the lucky break comes.