Formula E takes control of Audi team licence sale
Formula E Operations has taken control of the sale of the Audi team licence after the deadline to agree a buyout past, despite interested parties holding talks with the manufacturer
During pre-season testing in Valencia, Audi went public with its decision to quit the championship at the end of the current 2021 campaign.
As a franchise holder, it had the option to sell its entry but will now no longer earn money from its departure after failing to close talks in time.
Various parties came forward but a formal contract could not be finalised in time.
An Audi statement read: "As planned, this season will mark the end of the successful involvement with our factory team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and the licence will revert to the FEO at the end of the season as agreed in the regulations.
"There were talks with various interested parties, but for various reasons no contract could be closed."
Team principal Allan McNish told Autosport: "There are some natural deadlines. You have technical deadlines and some contractual ones as well.
"We had a lot of discussions in December when it was clear we were stepping out.
"We tried very hard to make sure the entity, the team, lived on beyond, but unfortunately we couldn't achieve it in the time scale."
Audi took full control of the ABT Schaeffler entry ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, having provided technical support to the squad during the first three seasons.
Although unable to provide a public comment, ABT was one the interest buyers.
An Audi spokesperson confirmed to Autosport that ABT would have permission to form a new partnership in FE with a non-Volkswagen Group partner.
Audi has developed its new powertrain for this season in-house for the first time during its FE tenure, a shift that had been two years in the making.
It will continue to supply this to customer squad Envision Virgin Racing for the rest of the Gen2 regulations, which conclude at the end of the next 2021-22 season.
Audi drivers Rene Rast and Lucas di Grassi are contracted to the manufacturer rather than specifically to the FE team, but they have different programme allocations.
Di Grassi wants to remain in FE and told Autosport he has held talks with "two or three teams".
He said: "I'm free to do whatever I want. My priority is to stay in a competitive environment, that's clear.
"I'm already talking to two or three teams, they are very interested for me to work with my experience and for me to continue with them.
"Now I need to decide what is the best option, how can I do it, how can I see myself in the future."
"Season eight starts in sixth months with testing so I need to make a decision and move forward."
FE is yet to respond to Autosport's request for a comment.
Frijns: Bird smart with energy management in Diriyah FE victory fight
Why the new Formula E season got off to such a controversial start
Bird out for Seoul Formula E finale, Nato to cover at Jaguar
Jaguar reserve Norman Nato will deputise for Sam Bird at the Seoul Formula E double-header, as the Briton is unable to complete in the season finale with a broken hand.
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there
Vandoorne "can't take it easy" in Seoul despite 36-point Formula E title lead
Stoffel Vandoorne can't "turn up and take it easy" at Formula E's Seoul finale, despite his 36-point cushion over second-placed Mitch Evans in the drivers' standings.
How Formula E's title fight gave way to Dennis and Di Grassi in the dockyards
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there
How Formula E's title fight gave way to Dennis and Di Grassi in the dockyards
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale
The ex-F1 racer turned Venturi team boss adapting to a Formula E title fight
For the second year in a row, the Venturi team is in the thick of the fight for Formula E title glory with Edoardo Mortara. That's despite a change to a more meritocratic qualifying system, which was expected to give the works Mercedes team an edge, and ex-Formula 1 racer Jerome d'Ambrosio being new in the team principal hot seat. As he tells Autosport, it's a challenge he's revelling in
Why Sims is quitting Formula E to become the master of his own destiny
Alexander Sims’ call to give up a pukka Formula E spot after four seasons in the series may have surprised some, but after laying out his reasoning and what he hopes comes next, very few onlookers can argue against his plan
How Formula E's Big Apple crunch led to Cassidy joy and heartache
Nick Cassidy hadn't enjoyed too many joyful moments in the 2021-22 Formula E campaign, but the Envision Virgin driver was the class of the field in New York - even after a sudden downpour had caused him and several others to shunt heavily out of the first race. Red flags saved his bacon on that occasion, but a 30-place penalty that cost him pole for race two due to a new battery opened the door for Antonio Felix da Costa
Mortara turns up the heat on Formula E title rivals in Marrakech scorcher
Formula E’s unplanned return to Marrakech provided teams with a fresh challenge in old but familiar surroundings, as Edoardo Mortara kept his cool in melting conditions to triumph and retake the championship lead
How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes
How Evans kept cool in Jakarta heat to renew his Formula E title push
Jean-Eric Vergne had comfortably taken a landmark pole for Formula E's first visit to Indonesia and looked set to win his first race of a highly consistent campaign. But the DS Techeetah driver couldn't answer a late attack from Jaguar's Mitch Evans, who profited from the Frenchman's change in battery management tactics to seize a third win of the campaign