Dieter Gass replaces Dr Wolfgang Ullrich as Audi’s head of motorsport – focus on Formula E and DTM

There’s no more Audi in Le Mans. Now, the man behind the brand’s 13 victories at Circuit de la Sarthe is stepping down. Out goes the great Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (pic below) and in comes Dieter Gass to succeed him as head of Audi Motorsport. The former, 66, will remain with the firm in an advisory role until the end of 2017.

It’s a scheduled change that’s in the plan, Audi says. At the start of 2012, Dr Ullrich persuaded Gass, who has a diploma degree in electromechanical engineering, to return to Audi with the aim of grooming him as his successor. After five years, the time has come for the 53-year old Gass to take charge of all factory-backed Audi commitments, which without endurance racing will leave Formula E and DTM.

“Dieter Gass is going to lead Audi Sport through the upcoming transformation stage and continue to write Audi’s success story in motorsport. He knows Audi Sport like few others do. From November 1994 to March 2001, he worked there as an engineer – initially in the super touring car and subsequently in the sports prototype program,” Dr Ullrich explained.

“Afterwards, he held leading positions in Formula 1 for eleven years. In that period, he gathered a wealth of know-how that Audi Sport has been benefiting from ever since his return in 2012. Following one year as Head of Racing Commitments and four years as Head of DTM, he is now taking his next, carefully planned step. I know that Audi’s motorsport commitment is in good hands with Dieter Gass,” Ullrich added.

“The footsteps left by Dr Ullrich are very large. He was at the helm of Audi Sport for 23 years and is credited with exceptional achievements during this long period of time. In addition to the global development of partnering teams and countless championships in super touring car racing, the 13 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and numerous DTM titles stand out as lasting milestones,” Gass said.

“But I’d be remiss not to mention the development of customer racing at Audi and Audi Sport’s move to the modern Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg designed for today’s needs. Careers like these are very rare in motorsport,” he pointed out.

Final words from the man. “I very much enjoyed my 23 years at the helm of Audi Sport. We celebrated major successes and I had the opportunity of working together with many great people whom I’d like to sincerely thank. The same applies to our teams and partners. The management board had faith in us even during difficult stages, and I believe we justified this trust over and over by claiming great victories and championship titles,” the Austrian-born Ulrich said.

Perhaps we’ll all warm up to Formula E someday (as unlikely as that sounds now), but it’s impossible to see the words ‘Audi’ and ‘motorsport’ without thinking of the those LMP1 machines that revolutionised endurance racing, just like how the old timers still remember the great Audi Quattro rally cars.

“There had been no long notice period. Next year’s car was 80% complete. Contracts had been signed with drivers, suppliers and sponsors. They’d even booked time at test tracks and flights to get personnel to them. They’re shocked, distraught, simple as that. To a man, they’re gutted,” wrote Top Gear‘s Ollie Marriage, who got to drive the 2016 R18 LMP1 a day before the whole thing came to an end. It was that abrupt.

GALLERY: Audi at the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours, its last

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