Sauber announces Audi as minority stakeholder

The Sauber Group has released a statement, revealing that German automotive manufacturer Audi has acquired a minority stake in the Swiss motorsport engineering company.

With this agreement, Audi has taken its first steps towards entering Formula One. The company is all set to enter F1 in 2026, with Sauber acting as its strategic partner.

The Sauber Group is the parent company of Formula One outfit Alfa Romeo Racing, with Alfa Romeo and Sauber having first partnered in 2019. This partnership will end at the end of the 2023 season, after which Sauber will operate the Formula One team under its own name until Audi joins and will continue to use Ferrari engines until the 2025 season.

The Sauber Group’s statement read:

“The Sauber Group is pleased to announce that, as per the 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 way to Audi’s entry in Formula One, scheduled for 2026, for which the Sauber Group will be the German brand’s strategic partner.“

In October 2022, Sauber had announced a team-up with Audi, and that the Swiss team would become the works team for the German manufacturer. Audi had already announced in August 2022 that it would be joining Formula One as a power unit supplier from 2026. Audi will build its own power unit base in Neuburg, Germany, while Sauber will develop and build the race car in Hinwil, Switzerland at the headquarters. Sauber will be in charge of planning and executing the race operations.