From Maranello to Neuburg: Audi has secured Lars Schmidt, one of the key figures in Ferrari’s ICE development. The Four Rings can now benefit from the know-how of a direct competitor.
The move had been anticipated for months, with paddock rumors and behind-the-scenes activity in the power unit sector. Now it’s official: Lars Schmidt leaves Scuderia Ferrari to become Head of ICE at Audi Revolut F1 Team, a central piece of the German manufacturer’s plan under the new regulatory cycle.
This news, beyond the formality of the LinkedIn announcement, impacts a strategic technical area. Schmidt was a key reference in the development of Ferrari’s 2026 V6 architecture, working closely with Wolf Zimmermann and Enrico Gualtieri on the conceptual and performance foundations of the internal combustion engine, which showed promising results in terms of efficiency and drivability during the Barcelona and Bahrain tests. Above all, it showed solid reliability.
Lars Schmidt – a profile built in the heart of modern power units
Schmidt’s career reflects his influence and expertise. At Ferrari, he spent nine years and seven months, navigating multiple technical and regulatory phases. From June 2016 to November 2017, he served as Trackside Engineer, experiencing firsthand the interaction between test benches and track, including engine mapping, energy recovery, and thermal stress management.
He then became Team Leader Performance Development ICE (November 2017 – September 2021), before taking the role of Technical Lead Performance Development ICE from 2021 until December 2025, when he parted ways with the team. This was a crucial role during a regulatory transition, where he worked on combustion, engine architecture, and hybrid integration strategies for 2026.
Before Ferrari, Schmidt spent four years at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, the nerve center of the dominant hybrid era. Between 2012 and 2013, he was Performance Development Engineer, then Power Unit Performance Engineer Trackside from 2014 to 2015, during Mercedes’ technical ascendancy. This formative period placed him firmly within the small group of European specialists in high-efficiency combustion.
Lars Schmidt – a major asset for Audi
Schmidt is now officially Head of ICE at Audi, directly responsible for developing the internal combustion engine under the new regulations. For a manufacturer building a power unit structure from scratch, this is a top-tier addition.
Audi has medium- to long-term ambitions and knows the 2026 competition will focus on three pillars: thermal efficiency, integration with the electric component, and reliability under high-energy stress. Having an engineer at the top who helped define Ferrari’s 2026 V6 conceptual base provides a clear competitive advantage.
It is no secret that this move is also viewed strategically within the paddock: Schmidt brings know-how, development methodologies, bench validation models, and insight gained within an organization that has profoundly redefined its engine philosophy in recent years. This is less about “secrets” and more about technical culture and processes, where real differences are made.
Ferrari reorganizes the power unit department
At Maranello, Schmidt’s departure—together with Zimmermann’s—prompted an internal reorganization. The strategy is twofold: to enhance existing internal resources and integrate external expertise, particularly from engineers who left Renault Motorsport’s Viry-Chatillon power unit department, now defunct under the French project redefinition.
This approach balances continuity with fresh expertise, aiming to preserve the work laid down on the 2026 V6. Test results from Barcelona and Bahrain showed a competitive unit in terms of power delivery and efficiency, but most notably reliability. Testing is still ongoing, and technical stability will remain crucial throughout the 2026–2030 regulatory cycle, which includes potential corrections via the ADUO system.
Audi: the Ferrari trio driving growth
Schmidt’s move fits into a broader trend of mobility within power unit departments, now a field of industrial competition as well as sporting rivalry. Under the new regulations, the ICE—though less dominant in absolute power than in the past—remains central for overall energy management.
For Audi, securing an engineer with experience in two of the most successful hybrid-era power units accelerates their learning curve. For Ferrari, the challenge is proving that the 2026 project does not rely on individual figures, but on a solid technical system. In this case, the engineer market reveals strategic vision behind every hire. Audi has invested heavily in three former Ferrari engineers: Lars Schmidt, Wolff Zimmermann, and Mattia Binotto, who also comes from Maranello’s powertrain department.
This is clear evidence that the Scuderia Ferrari is perceived as an engineering benchmark even by a major industrial group like Audi.
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