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Audi and Sauber join hands: this is what the partnership will look like
- GPblog.com
Audi and Sauber have officially announced that they will work together from 2026. Exactly what the deal will look like became clear in the press release. GPblog lists the key issues.
Entry of Audi
Audi announced earlier this year that they would become an engine supplier in Formula 1 from 2026. From that year, the new engine regulations go into effect, which is a good time for the German brand to step in. In Neuburg, Audi's engine plant is being modernised to meet F1 standards.
That is also how the partnership will work from 2026 onwards. Audi's engine will be made at the factory in Germany, the car will be made at Hinwil, Sauber's factory. While Sauber's factory is already among the top in F1, there is still work to be done in Neuburg. Audi informs in the statement that 120 employees are now working there and all infrastructure should be ready by 2023. The first test with the new engine is scheduled for 2025.
In this respect, it is also an advantage for Audi that from 2026 there will also be a budget cap for engine suppliers. This makes it clear what cap to work towards and will therefore allow the gap with existing manufacturers to be minimised.
Takeover of Sauber
Sauber currently still has a deal with Alfa Romeo. That partnership runs until 2023, after which the Italian brand's logo will disappear from the car. Sauber will continue to run a Ferrari engine in 2024 and 2025 to bridge the gap towards the first season with Audi in 2026.
There was earlier talk of a takeover of Audi from 2024, but there is no mention of this in the statement. So it is not yet clear whether we will see Audi's logo on Sauber's car from the moment Alfa Romeo disappears in 2024. Alfa Romeo will be gone by then, but Audi would put its logo on a car that has a Ferrari engine in it.
Drivers have also been a hotly debated topic. Audi's top brass, for instance, would prefer to see a German driver in the car, possibly as early as 2024. Mick Schumacher seems to be the best candidate for that. There was also talk of Carlos Sainz, but that seemed to be more because the press event in question was in Spain. For 2023 at least, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou are still under contract with Alfa Romeo, more will become clear about the 2024 line-up later.