BERLIN -- Audi CEO Gernot Doellner wants to fire the company's chief technical officer, Oliver Hoffmann, Germany's Bild newspaper reported, citing sources close to the company.
According to Bild, Doellner and Hoffmann do not get along, with the Audi chief blaming his CTO for stalled development.
Hoffmann, who had his contract extended by five years in May, will be transferred to the new Formula One team, Bild reported, adding that a successor has not yet been finalized.
The Audi supervisory board could discuss the issue as soon as Thursday, according to the sources.
However, the supervisory board at parent company Volkswagen Group will likely have the final say when it meets at the beginning of next month.
An Audi spokesperson said the company does not comment on speculation.
Hoffmann was appointed Audi's technical development chief in 2021, tasked with speeding up the automaker's push into electrification.
He moved to the role from his post as Audi's chief operating officer. Previously Hoffmann, an engineer, worked in quality assurance at Lamborghini, and was in charge of powertrain development at Audi's plant in Gyor, Hungary. He was also Audi Sport's head of technical development.
