► Audi will use Sauber chassis
► Entering F1 as a full works team
► 120 people already on engine program
Audi is entering F1 in 2026, and it’ll be doing so as a full works manufacturer. However, rather than starting from the ground up, Stuttgart will be joining forces with and buying a stake in the Sauber F1 outfit. Audi design the engine at its Motorsport Competence Centre in Neuberg, while the chassis will be designed and manufactured in Hinwil, Switzerland – where the Sauber team is based.
It’s a route many car brands have taken into F1; from Mercedes who bought the Brawn GP team, to Renault and now Alpine who bought the already successful Benetton team. Sauber aren’t at the same level as either of those teams right now, but Audi is confident the partnership will bear successful fruit. It’s also not the first time Stuttgart has teamed up with Hinwill ; the team regularly used Sauber’s wind tunnel for its Le Mans and DTM programs.
Sauber is currently working with Alfa Romeo which remains a title sponsor until 2023, and there’s also a Ferrari engine deal that ends before 2026 to contend with, but the transition should be relatively smooth.
‘We are delighted to have gained such an experienced and competent partner for our ambitious Formula 1 project,’ saod Oliver Hoffmann, member of the board for technical development at Audi. AG. “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.’
On to 2026
Audi says it’s already working on its 2026 PU, which will follow tweaked rules to the ones teams currently used. According to today’s press release, 120 employees are already involved as Audi looks to compete with Honda, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.
Audi finally joins
CAR originally broke the story in 2021 that Audi could move into the sport after years of Volkswagen Group officials joining meetings with the FIA regarding the sport. Audi says it will compete in Formula 1 with its own powertrain that will be developed and built in Audi Sport’s facility in Neuberg.
Audi points to the new technical rules that apply from 2026, with advance developments in electrification and sustainable fuels, as well as a cost cap on powertrain development, being the main reasons for joining now rather than earlier.
‘In view of the major technological leaps that the series is making towards sustainability in 2026, we can speak of a new Formula 1,’ said Hoffman, ‘Formula 1 is transforming, and Audi wants to actively support this journey.’
‘Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory,’ added Duesmann, ‘the combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new rules, now is the right time for us to get involved.’