Audi teams up with Sauber for F1 entry in 2026

After decades of exploring a possible entry in Formula One, Audi is set to acquire a stake in the Sauber F1 team and develop its engines. Markus Duesman (Audi CEO) said, “Audi is now a registered Formula One Power Unit manufacturer and will begin racing from 2026.

From 2026, Formula 1 will get new regulations and is set for the most significant change in the engine department. Formula One will shift to 100% sustainable fuels with enhanced electrical power with a beefier MGU-K (Motor Generation Unit- Kinetic), which is responsible for generating energy when the car is braking and deprivation of MGU-H (Motor Generation Unit- Heat). Taking advantage of this regulation change, Audi announced joining Formula 1 as an engine supplier in 2026. The German company (under the Volkswagen group) is already working on the project at its base in Neuberg, Germany.

There was also news of Audi purchasing a stake in the Sauber F1 Team, which would be renamed Audi F1 Team. Before the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix, Audi has recently declared that Sauber will be its “strategic partner.” Audi is also planning to have a stake in the Sauber Group. Both parties have worked collaboratively in the past too. Sauber’s partnership with Alfa Romeo will end at the end of 2023, and the team will use Ferrari engines until the end of 2025.

Oliver Hoffman (Audi AG Board Member) said, “We are acquainted with the Sauber Group with its state-of-the-art facility, and we are sure that we will be a strong team together. Audi AG and Sauber partnership are crucial for our team as we progress towards the front of the grid. To be Audi’s team is an honour with great responsibility and the best option for the future.”

Stefano Domenicali (CEO and president of F1, said, “It’s great to hear that Audi is set to partner with Sauber to gain entry into Formula 1 in 2026. We wish for their progress over the upcoming years.”

After 2026, Sauber will manufacture and develop the racecar; however, Audi will manufacture engines that will power it. At the headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, Sauber will manufacture and develop the team’s car, and under Audi’s banner, it will race operations. Audi also apprised that the extension of its Neuburg facility shall be “largely in place in 2023”.

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