Formula 1: Audi Buys Minority Stake in Sauber Ahead of 2026 F1 Entry
Audi’s entry into Formula 1 has moved a step closer after the German car manufacturer acquired a minority stake in Sauber.
The purchase comes three months after Sauber confirmed they would become Audi’s strategic partner when the German marque enters Formula 1 in 2026.
The Swiss constructor’s current partnership with Alfa Romeo will end after the coming season.
“This is an important milestone on the way to Audi’s entry in Formula One, scheduled for 2026, for which the Sauber Group will be the German brand’s strategic partner,” Sauber said in a statement.
Sauber will run with Ferrari power units in 2024 and 2025, before Audi steps in.
Speaking in October, then-Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur described the partnership as the “best option for the future.”
“To become Audi’s official works team is not only an honor and a great responsibility, it’s the best option for the future and we are fully confident we can help Audi achieve the objectives they have set for their journey in Formula 1,” he said.
On Jan. 14, Andreas Seidl replaced Vasseur as Sauber’s chief executive after the latter joined Ferrari, and will oversee Audi’s entry into F1.
It is Sauber’s second full works agreement after their link-up with BMW in the 2000s, with owner Finn Rausing insisting Audi were the “best strategic partner” for the company.
The goal now will be to return to at least the upper midfield.
Sauber, who first debuted in Formula 1 in 1993, partnered with Alfa Romeo in 2018 but have still been operating at a smaller budget than nearly all of their rivals, and have been towards the back of the grid since.
A link-up with Audi will certainly help their cause, with the carmaker developing engines from their German base, and the chassis still expected to be developed at Sauber’s Switzerland base.
The new generation of F1 engines will feature increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels.
“We are delighted to have gained such an experienced and competent partner for our ambitious Formula 1 project,” said Audi board member Oliver Hoffman, who is responsible for the F1 program at corporate level.
In a statement sent to Sky Sports, an Audi spokesperson said this is a “key milestone” for the German’s F1 entry in 2026.
“As part of the acquisition, Julius Seebach joined the Sauber board of directors as the official representative of the Audi AG,” the statement added. The new generation of F1 engines will feature increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels.
The post Formula 1: Audi Buys Minority Stake in Sauber Ahead of 2026 F1 Entry was originally published on CNBC.
