Audi’s models will also benefit from McLaren Applied, the department in charge of electrification of models. Now that Audi is so intent on going ICE-free, it could use the help of the people that built the McLaren Senna.
It’s not clear how it will tie in with Bugatti-Rimac, if at all. Bugatti has always been a sort of standalone company, functioning as a halo for the entire Volkswagen Group.
On the motorsport side, it gives Audi access to McLaren’s F1 team. Audi and Porsche have been quite vocal about possibly entering F1, and this deal might have saved them millions. Sure, the new engine regulations make it cheaper, but a deal like this also includes a dedicated assembly plant for F1 cars, a team of skilled engineers, and decades of know-how.