Audi Goes All-In, Will Complete Full Takeover of Sauber F1 Team

Audi will take complete control of the Sauber Formula 1 team ahead of its entry into the championship in 2026, the German marque announced Friday.

In 2022 Audi revealed that it will join Formula 1 as a strategic partner to Sauber Motorsport in 2026, and planned to acquire a 75% of the company. That was going to be undertaken in order to increase that holding in stages through 2025.

But an agreement has now been reached whereby Audi will take over 100% of Sauber, taking full control from current majority shareholder Islero Investments, controlled by Tetra Pak billionaire Finn Rausing.

Rausing’s company has owned Sauber Motorsport since 2016.

Oliver Hoffmann will step down as a board member at Audi and will become Chairman of the Board of Directors of all of Sauber’s companies while Sauber Group CEO Andreas Seidl will become CEO of Audi F1 Team.

Seidl, who joined Sauber from McLaren at the end of 2022, has been working behind-the-scenes to strengthen the group and Friday’s announcement formalizes his role within Audi.

Sauber competed in Formula 1 as Alfa Romeo from 2018 through 2023 and for the next two years has taken on substantial branding from the Stake and Kick companies, ahead of Audi’s takeover in 2026.

The full takeover will allow Audi to ramp up its involvement in the Formula 1 organization ahead of its 2026 debut.

Audi will continue to construct its chassis out of Sauber’s existing facility in Hinwil, Switzerland, while its engine is being built at its facility in Neuberg, Germany.

“Motorsport, particularly Formula 1, is my big passion,” said Hoffmann. “I am convinced that by bundling responsibilities and taking over 100% of Sauber Group, we will further accelerate our preparations for the launch in 2026.

“I am pleased we were able to secure the services of Andreas as Audi F1 Team CEO. He is exactly the right man for our ambitious plan. Thanks to his broad experience from leadership roles on the manufacturer and Formula 1 team side, he will make a significant contribution to Audi’s Formula 1 project.”

Added Seidl: “We have a clear roadmap for how we want to become competitive in Hinwil as well as in Neuburg. We have ambitious goals. Realization of them is in progress and will be further accelerated through the complete takeover of Sauber by Audi.”