Allan McNish knows a thing or two about winning.

The 56-year-old has been called one of "motorsports' most accomplished figures." His lengthy racing resume includes victories Le Mans (three-time winner), Sebring 12 Hours, Petit Le Mans and 6 Hours of Silverstone.

McNish now has a new challenge ahead of him -- getting the Audi Revolut Formula 1 team into championship shape by 2030. The Scot was named racing director in April, a newly created role after team principal Jonathan Wheatley's abrupt departure.

The team currently sits in eighth place. Drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabi Bortoleto have each had some highs (and lows) this season, and Sunday's grand prix in Brazil presents another opportunity for the team to earn points and move up in the standings. Bortoleto, 22, is a fan favorite; the 22-year-old was born in Sao Paulo.

Sunday's results will not change McNish's outlook or the organization's goals.

"We know our strengths and we know our weaknesses, and we're working on the weaknesses in the background," said McNish, a longtime Audi driver and former team principal of the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler Formula E team. "We're building the team so that it's robust and ready because frankly it's an area we need to work on. We need to work on our structure and our personnel and make sure they have the right tools."

McNish said he has "very open" discussions with his drivers, listening to their concerns and ideas. There are also times when Gabi and Nico need to vent. That's OK too, McNish said.

"You need to get it out there," he acknowledged.

The racing legend recently spoke to ABC News, opening up his management style, his team's chances of winning a constructors' championship this decade and Audi's new campus in Switzerland.

The interview below has been edited for clarity.

Q: The team got a big boost after the Singapore Grand Prix, racking up four points. How do you keep this momentum going and how has the team's strategy changed since the beginning of the season?

A: At the beginning of the year we were quite fortunate to get points in the first race. We had a better qualifying performance than maybe [what was] expected. Then we had some reliability issues. Now we're in a position where we've got control over all that. We're consistently fighting in and around Q3.

I don't see any problem with our motivation or attitude. We're racing the Alpine and Racing Bulls -- that is our real competition. I think we have a performance advantage over both of them.

Q: You're an accomplished racer with a storied career. What's been your advice to Nico and Gabi?

A: Gabi was frustrated after Singapore. But he wants to fight back. Gabi is much younger in his experience but without doubt can deliver. That is for sure. He is absorbing a lot of information from Nico. Nico is extremely open -- I am quite surprised how open he is. We have two players who are different in character but they get on and they are working together as opposed to fighting.

I am telling Gabi it comes around. There are times when things roll with you and times when they don't. He had a period when he was absolutely on it. And he was the one scoring the points. Gabi was the one who got the points at Silverstone. At the end of the day, you've got to keep doing exactly what you were doing before, not change it, and not start questioning. Because if you start questioning, your focus goes from what's ahead to what's behind you. We do have to make sure Gabi's got the full understanding of why we had the problem in Singapore. That builds confidence and trust in the driver and the team.

It's not about driving fast. [The drivers] can all drive fast. It's about the capacity to do all of the other things. That's a skill set on its own.   What you see is a driver who is executing multiple things at the same time -- which proves a point -- men can multitask [laughs].

Q: How often do you actually talk to each driver during the race?

A: Zero. You need to have one line of communication. The only time a racing director or team principal steps in is if there is a decision that was needed to be delivered in a certain way. But the reality is, the race engineers speak to the driver. The driver is out there on his own and he needs to know what is coming through his ears and the tonality of it.

Q: In 2013 you said you did not want to be a part of team management because of difficult drivers like yourself. How do you get Nico and Gabi to listen to you, to learn from you? What is your management style like?

A: I don't need to tell them how to drive. At the end, what I am trying to do is give them the best opportunities to deliver on the circuit. End of story. And that's the best car, the best team, the best engineering package, the best support mechanism. We have very open discussions. After Baku, Gabi came and sat in the office. He just wanted to speak. He wanted to vent. I could sit there and say to him, 'Alright, come on, Gabi.' But having been on that side, you need a release. You need to get it out there.

There are things that they feel and sense and do that you can't see from the outside. So from my point of view, I do live inside the cockpit with them virtually. I am watching what they're doing, seeing what the car is doing. I understand when the car is dancing around a little bit. I suppose my management style is living it from the cockpit.

Q: Audi recently announced that it's building a new campus for its F1 operations in Switzerland. Talk about the investment and what it means for the team.

A: It's a big thing. It's a long-term investment. The [current] facility was a functional facility. But it was not at the levels that required to be fighting for a world championship.

This is again part of that long-term vision of being successful. It gives space and flexibility for the team to grow. It also allows us to have the tools and workspace and environment to foster what we need as well.

If you go to Neuburg [Germany] where the power unit is developed, it is very much Audi. And it's got that real racing DNA flavor through it, with the old Audi Sport side coming through. And Hinwil, Switzerland, is now going through that transition as well. Every one of the Audi Sport trophies had some bumpy roads before it. There were some difficult times, a lot of head scratching.

The past is the past. Those experiences are a real strong part of what we have got going forward. We know the trials and tribulations to get to [a championship]. I think we have a great history.