Rolf Michl will no longer head Audi Sport GmbH, as the 48‑year‑old is slated for relocation to China later this year, according to Motorsport‑Total.com.
From Abt to Audi: Michl’s Path to the Top
After rising through the ranks from operations manager to managing director, Michl took on the dual role of motorsport boss on 1 September 2022. He replaced Julius Seebach as the head of the newly merged Audi Sport GmbH, which brought factory‑based racing under a single umbrella in 2020.
Scalable Back‑Office and Shifting Priorities
Under Michl, the division began trimming its factory footprint. The veteran GT3 campaign, including the R8 LMS outings, was halted at the end of 2023, and the driver roster dissolved. With the Dakar series ending in early 2024, Audi’s only remaining factory project vanished. Those cuts coincided with a new focus on 2026 Formula 1 entry, a program spun off into Audi Formula Racing GmbH under Mattia Binotto and no longer within Michl’s remit.
GT3 and the Audi Nuvolari Question
While the performance division continues to support current customer race cars, its future on the GT3 grid remains uncertain. Audi unveiled the Nuvolari, a super‑sports conversion of the Lamborghini Temerario, perhaps signalling a hiccup on that path. If a New GT3 form is still on the table, it would likely draw on the Nuvolari’s platform.
New Projects and Leadership Vacancies
Besides basic customer support, Audi Sport GmbH maintains the Racing Legends programme launched in 2025, which sells classic DTM and Le Mans‑era machines to private owners. The only managing director of the performance division has been Michl since Sebastian Grams left in late 2023. With the motorsport boss position abolished in 2024, Audi now faces a gap in front‑line leadership at Neckarsulm.
What Comes Next for Audi Sport GmbH?
With Michl’s departure and no immediate successor announced, the challenge for Audi is to outline a new strategic direction for its performance arm. The remaining initiatives—Racing Legends, basic GT3 support for existing models, and potential Nuvolari‑derived developments—will have to be steered without a dedicated motorsport chief. The upcoming months will reveal how Audi maps its next chapter in factory racing and product‑performance synergy.
"