Audi announces partner for 2026 F1
Sauber will become the strategic partner of Audi's Formula 1 programme when it enters the championship in the next four years.
Audi has announced that it will partner with Sauber ahead of its planned entry to Formula 1 for the 2026 season.
The German manufacturer will become a strategic partner with the Swiss motorsport team and has acquired a stake in the Sauber Group.
Audi AG Board Member and Responsible for F1 Programme, Oliver Hoffmann, believes Sauber's experience and state-of-the-art facilities will be a valuable starting point for the teams ambitious F1 project.
“We are delighted to have gained such an experienced and competent partner for our ambitious Formula 1 project," said Hoffmann.
"We already know the Sauber Group with its state-of-the-art facility and experienced team from previous collaborations and are convinced that together we will form a strong team."
Although Sauber confirmed that its partnership with Alfa Romeo would be coming to an end in 2023, the team will still compete in 2024 and 2025 with Ferrari power units.
The team has made progress since the 2022 regulation change in finishing further up the grid, but according to Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur, the partnership with Audi will be a "key step" for breaking out of the midfield in the future.
Vasseur said: “The partnership between Audi AG and Sauber Motorsport is a key step for our team as we continue to make progress towards the front of the grid."
"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 F1.”
Sauber Holding AG Chairman of the Board of Directors, Finn Rausing, added: “Audi is the best strategic partner for the Sauber Group. It is clear that we share values and a vision, and we look forward to achieving our common goals in a strong and successful partnership.”