Career

Four rings, one story - János Léber

2025. 11. 25.

Some people search for issues – others turn them into a career. János Léber tests not only cars, but also himself – with decisions beyond his comfort zone, new challenges and continuous improvement. From IT to the automotive industry, from test pilot to engineer – his story proves that passion, openness and a broad perspective can make you not only a good professional, but also a role model.

How and when did your career at Audi start?

I spent more than a decade and a half in IT before making an old dream of mine come true in 2013. I joined Audi Hungaria, officially as a Quality Assurance Officer, colloquially known as a test pilot, driving eight hours a day and watching cars roll off the production line  with a sharp eye and fine ear.  That’s when the A3 ramp-up began, so after just one week of initial training,  I was already allowed to drive my dream cars independently. The start was memorable not only because of this, but also because my family and I were on holiday in Frankfurt when my phone rang and I was told that I had a job interview at Audi in two days. We immediately turned back – perhaps this is an indication of how seriously I took this opportunity.

That’s right. I have been on several foreign assignments, mostly in Germany. I have also been able to travel to Canada on two occasions. I spent a month in Halifax coordinating an engine replacement campaign involving 140 cars. And during our assignment in Toronto, we supported the launch of the Audi Q5, manufactured in Mexico, for the North American market. These assignments were made after I was asked to be the team coordinator for the third shift, which started in 2014. “After several personality development courses, I stepped out of my comfort zone and took the challenge – it was becoming clear to me that this was a job that would really fit me.”

Even though leading a team naturally meant less time behind the wheel?

After nearly two years of driving cars eight hours a day, it was no longer a tragedy that I shifted to having a series of meetings and other forms of interaction as a team coordinator. But to this day I am happy to get in a car if I need to. In 2018, I took advantage of an opportunity at the company to be promoted to an engineering position. Initially, I was mainly combining my experience as a test pilot with my previous IT experience to fulfill my new, multifaceted role. I had to deliver the new test driving results to the partner areas, develop a set of test and usage rules for the entire test track, training material for the new test pilots, and coordinate the ramp-up of new models by optimizing the internal and external test drives. I remember when we were only allowed to take the new Q3 model out on the test track under strict confidentiality. At night and under a tarpaulin, of course, and under close guard.

Can you highlight projects from your work that are close to your heart?

Although it is not connected to my name, I was able to participate in a project that deserved to be called “big” in terms of its size and importance. Several sites have been amazed by the idea of optimizing the test drive, which was conceived after contacting the Vehicle Electronics & Diagnostics Team. They indicated that they would develop a tool for us that would record various data and parameters of the test car during the test drive. Based on this, we have developed a solution for the readout of the diagnostic fault memory before and after the test drive using a self-developed device capable of wireless data transmission. But what I am most proud of is the efficient and ideal testing process that the team and I have created over the years. We have succeeded in optimizing and standardizing the tests to such a level, and adapting them to production, that the Győr plant has now become a benchmark within Audi in the test driving area. I was then asked to review the test standard for the test drive of the Audi A6 manufactured in Neckarsulm, which was later optimized on the basis of my suggestions. I am proud that the Audi Q3 manufactured in Győr has been ranked number one in the Small Premium SUV category in the US JD Power survey, one of the world’s most respected car market satisfaction surveys.

And I haven’t even mentioned that a standard has also been developed for the future construction and testing procedures of a new test track within the Group, for which we have also shared our experience. We drive every car we make, and eight percent of them are also taken out for a 22-kilometer external test drive. We look at the vehicle from the customer’s point of view, both the interior and the driving characteristics. We also drive the car on twelve bumpy sections with different surfaces, paying attention to the noise. Most of the cars roll off the production line without faults, we just don’t know which ones yet. We have also started a project using Artificial Intelligence to see if AI and machine learning can use the wealth of data available to us to find correlations that can further optimize our tests. Now, all models are tested in the same way during the test drive. And for another pilot project, we will visualize the data collected from the cars during external test drives. Hundreds of values are stored here every second, which can later be displayed in graphical form.

Do you have a favorite of the car models you drive?

When it was just the Audi A3, the RS3 was my favorite, the main thing was to have a petrol engine and high performance. Then the RS Q3 became everyone’s favorite, for its superb comfort and explosive acceleration. The best Audi I’ve ever been in is the RS e-tron GT. It has a silent but elemental power – and a design that makes an impact even when the car is just standing. When accelerating, it kicks you in the back and you just grin.

The beauty of my job is that no two days are the same. Something new is always happening – a new type, a new test, a new fault. It sounds strange, but it is the faults that make us thrive. We often have visitors and sometimes even television crews come to film for programs. It feels good to give people a look behind the scenes at how we work.

How does your personal example help someone to become a good professional, a role model?

A good working relationship is based on mutual respect and cooperation. I treat every colleague as a partner and always focus on finding a common solution, not on mistakes or personal issues. In the long run, this approach not only makes the work stronger, but also the team. I also try not to have any unread emails, and I try to reply to everyone immediately or send the requested information. “It’s also important to have a broad horizon, because although you can dig deep in one profession, it’s like looking at the world with only one eye if you don’t have a view of other areas.” And, of course, motivation is essential. I always jokingly say in my training sessions that I am just motivated by money, but of course the working environment and atmosphere in which I work is much more important. I like this milieu, with its clarity, its rules, its structure and its transparency. Audi Hungaria is a workplace where you can develop both professionally and in terms of self-awareness.

Of course, I have many hobbies. I proudly preserve and maintain my first car, a 1989 Opel Kadett GSI, and I love to tinker – I built a patio, a garage and paved my yard. Music is particularly close to me – I play the accordion, I’ve learned the melodies of the French movie Amélie, and I am also a fan of electronic music and even Rammstein. I prefer listening to them on my home-built sound system – because I like music that can not only be heard but also felt. 3D printing has recently become my latest passion. It feels good to turn an idea into a tangible object – whether it is a car part, a technical aid or a piece of decoration. I also create my own designs, models and often improve my printer to make it as accurate and efficient as possible. It’s a hobby that perfectly combines creativity, technical interest and precision – exactly what I love about my job, by the way. I have closely followed the space journey of Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. He is an inspiring person for me because what he has achieved is impressive and the way he communicates about it – in his interviews and through his attitude – is really motivating and exemplary. Since my early age, I was also very interested in military aviation, and at the age of 14, I went to Pér, a village nearby Győr, for glider pilot training. There, a medical obstacle prevented me from obtaining my flight license, but five years ago I decided to undergo the operation, which shows that I never let go of my dream of becoming a fighter pilot. It is a pity that so much time has passed since then.

Whether as a test pilot, a fighter pilot or even an astronaut, the essence is the same: pushing boundaries. And I have made my dream come true.

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