Stefan Dreyer is a German motorsport engineer and the Chief Technology Officer of Audi Formula Racing (AFR), the Neuburg-based division responsible for Audi's first Formula 1 power unit. He leads the technical development of the engine and hybrid system that powers the works team under the new 2026 regulations. ¹²

He was born Stefan Denis Dreyer in Stuttgart in 1973 and studied mechanical engineering at Ulm University of Applied Sciences, completing his thesis in collaboration with Audi — an early link to the company he would spend his career with. ¹

“Dreyer joined Audi Sport in 1999 as an engineer working on sports and special-application engines in Ingolstadt.”

Career at Audi Sport

Dreyer joined Audi Sport in 1999 as an engineer working on sports and special-application engines in Ingolstadt. He rose through the organisation as Project Leader for DTM engine development, then oversaw engine testing and race operations for Audi's Le Mans and World Endurance programmes before moving into senior leadership: Head of LMP (2016–2017), Head of Powertrain Development (2017–2020) and Head of Development for Audi Sport (2020–2022). His work spanned Audi's most successful motorsport eras — multiple Le Mans wins, DTM titles, Formula E and the Dakar Rally — giving him an unusually broad powertrain CV across combustion, hybrid and electric racing. ¹³

Leading the F1 power unit

Dreyer was involved in the early planning of Audi's F1 project and was a central figure in the discussions with the FIA over the new 2026 power-unit regulations, helping shape the technical and sporting framework that made the manufacturer's entry viable. As CTO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH since 2023 he now oversees the entire power-unit programme at Neuburg — the most technically demanding and self-contained part of Audi's grid entry, since the team designs and builds its own engine in-house rather than buying a customer unit. ¹³

Since May 2025 he has additionally served as spokesperson of the AFR management board. Audi has publicly stated that the power-unit programme has hit its development milestones on schedule, a claim that carries weight given the 2026 rules' move to a roughly 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power. ¹³

Why it matters

Under the 2026 regulations the power unit is the single biggest performance variable, and the only one Audi controls end-to-end. As the engineer ultimately responsible for it, Dreyer's work at Neuburg will do more than almost anything else to determine whether the works project lands competitively in its debut season. ³

Bottom line

A long-serving Audi Sport engineer with deep powertrain credentials across the marque's most successful motorsport eras, Dreyer is the technical leader of Audi's bespoke F1 power unit — one of the most ambitious parts of the manufacturer's grid entry. ¹³