Audi Will Replace Alfa Romeo As Sauber’s F1 Partner

Audi involvement in Formula 1 will be facilitated with Sauber as partners.

The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 Team hasn’t quite had the kind of success they might have hoped for and will be terminating their relationship with Sauber at the end of 2023. It’s unclear how Sauber will stay on in Formula one for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but what’s certain is they’ll be entering 2026 with Audi.

Audi’s long awaited entry into Formula 1 will come via this partnership with the legendary Swiss racing team using power units developed by Audi. Power units will be made at Audi’s Motorsport Competence Centre in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany. The race car will be made at Sauber’s facilities in Hinwil, Switzerland.

Audi and Sauber Group already have a working relationship. Audi Sport regularly uses the Sauber Group’s high-tech wind tunnel in Hinwil during the brand’s Le Mans era and during their Class 1 DTM era.

Here’s the press release with more.

PRESS RELEASE

The next important milestone on the road to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship has been completed: Audi has selected Sauber as a strategic partner for the project and plans to acquire a stake in the Sauber Group. The partnership will see the traditional Swiss racing team competing as the Audi factory team from 2026 onwards using the power unit developed by Audi for the pinnacle of motorsport.

Following the announcement of its Formula 1 entry at the end of August, Audi’s confirmation of its strategic partner marks the next milestone in the company’s entry into the premier class of motorsport. With around 30 years of competitive experience, Sauber is one of the most renowned and traditional teams in Formula 1. While the power unit will be created at Audi’s Motorsport Competence Center in Neuburg an 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.

The expansion of the Neuburg facility is in full swing

The timetable up to the first race with Audi participation in the 2026 season is ambitious: The expansion of the Neuburg facility in terms of personnel, buildings and technical infrastructure should be largely in place in 2023. The first tests with the power unit developed for the 2026 regulations in a Formula 1 test car are planned for 2025.

Formula 1 is taking a big step towards sustainability with the new regulations that will come into effect from 2026. This was an important prerequisite for Audi to decide to enter the championship. The power units will be more efficient than they are today, as the proportion of electric power will increase significantly. The electric drivetrain will then have nearly as much power as the internal combustion engine, which comes to 400 kW (544 hp). The highly efficient 1.6-liter turbocharged engines will be powered by sustainable synthetic fuel that is CO₂-neutral (according to EU standards). Formula 1 has also set itself the goal of being CO₂-neutral as a racing series by 2030.