German car manufacturer Audi has announced a partnership with the Sauber Group. The Sauber Group currently races under the Alfa Romeo name tag and will see out their current partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2023 before Audi acquires a major stake at Sauber.
The partnership will see Sauber race with power units in 2024 and 2025 before the German car manufacturer starts supplying the power units in 2026. While the power unit will be created at Audi’s Motorsport Competence Center in Neuburgan der Donau, Sauber will develop and manufacture the race car at its site in Hinwil (Switzerland). Sauber will also be responsible for planning and executing the race operations.
“We are delighted to have gained such an experienced and competent partner for our ambitious Formula 1 project,”. “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,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for technical development at AUDI AG.
Finn Rausing, Chairman of Sauber Holding equal expressed his optimism for a bright future with Audi saying: “It is clear that both companies share the same values and vision. We are looking forward to achieving our common goals with a strong and successful partnership.”
Stefano Domenicali President and CEO of F1 also expressed his delight at the agreement saying: “It is great news to hear that Audi will have a partnership with Sauber for their entry into Formula 1 in 2026. The combination of those two names is a very exciting prospect for our sport. It highlights the strong momentum that Formula 1 has and the belief in our strategy to further grow and enhance the sport while delivering on our sustainability plans to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 with advanced sustainable fuels in the cars in 2026. We look forward to seeing their progress over the coming years and the car on the grid for the team’s first race.”
This new deal will see Sauber challenge other established constructors on the grid and bring more competition to the sport.