The prestigious German brand is preparing to enter the Circus which will formally take place in 2026. Audi in October 2022 was officially presented as a "strategic partner" of the Sauber group, starting the process that will present it as a team, effectively inheriting what was left by Alfa Romeo, who will leave the Circus at the end of next season. There is great interest in this new partnership which today is enhanced by one more detail: the acquisition of a minority stake in the Sauber group by the German giant Audi.
An important milestone towards 2026
La note of a few lines published on the group's website, he did not specify the exact share, but it still represents an important step towards Audi's arrival in Formula 1. Furthermore, over the next few months, there should be further acquisitions to reach the majority."The Sauber Group is pleased to announce that, according to plans outlined in October last year, Audi acquired a minority stake in the Sauber Group in January 2023. This is an important milestone on the road to Audi's entry into Formula 1, scheduled for 2026, for which the Sauber Group will be the strategic partner of the German brand".
The Sauber group will undergo a real revolution in the coming years. Revolution already started this season, and what will be guided by the new CEO of the group, Andreas Seidl. One of the first moves of the new CEO was to elect a figure capable of representing and also supervising the activity on the track, after the farewell of Vasseur: Alessandro Good students.
We already had some information on the technical details. Sauber in its role as strategic partner will make the Hinwil plant available as a basis for the Audi project, which is expanding the Motorsport Competence Center in Neuberg, Germany, to develop the powertrain. The expansion should be completed in 2024. Until 2025 Sauber will continue to use the engines Ferrari, before the definitive transformation – in name and in substance – in the Audi team.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Sauber Group
