Audi has taken the next critical step toward Formula 1 by naming Sauber as a strategic partner for the project. As a result, Audi intends to acquire a stake in the Sauber Group. As a result of the collaboration, the historic Swiss racing team will run as an Audi factory team beginning in 2026, using the engine unit developed by Audi for motorsport's top class.
Following the announcement of the Formula 1 entry at the end of August, Audi's confirmation of its strategic partner is the next step in the company's Formula 1 entry. Sauber is one of the most well-known and classic Formula One teams, with over 30 years of expertise. While the engine will be developed in Audi's Motorsport Competence Center in Neuburg a der Donau, the race car will be created and manufactured at Sauber's Hinwil facility in Switzerland. Sauber will also be in charge of race operations planning and execution.
"We are thrilled to have found such an experienced and capable partner for our ambitious Formula 1 project," says Oliver Hoffmann, AUDI AG's head of technical development. "From prior collaborations, we already know the Sauber Group with its cutting-edge infrastructure and experienced crew, and we are convinced that we will establish a powerful team together." During the successful Le Mans era and the creation of the Class 1 car for the DTM, Audi Sport, for example, employed the Sauber Group's high-tech wind tunnel in Hinwil, a little under four hours away by automobile.
