Final: Audi announced the takeover of the Sauber team and entry into F1

Audi has concluded an agreement to purchase the Sauber team, which has been racing under the name Alfa Romeo for the last few years, thus announcing its entry into the elite Formula 1 world championship in 2026.

After months of speculation, Audi announced earlier this year that they would become partners in the development of the next generation of powertrains. Which team they will gradually take over was not confirmed at the time, but it was expected to be the Swiss team Sauber. This will be Audi's first entry into the elite F1 racing championship.

Audi and Sauber have announced that Sauber will become a strategic partner of Audi's Formula 1 program, and that Audi plans to gradually acquire a majority stake in the Sauber team.

The terms of the deal, including the size of the ownership stake, and the timeline, have not yet been disclosed, but it is expected to be a phased takeover, with Audi's ownership increasing from now until 2026.

Until the end of the 2023 season, Sauber will continue to race for Alfa Romeo. So is Sauber's agreement with the existing Italian car manufacturer.

Until the end of 2025, the team will continue to use Ferrari engines.

This will be the second ownership contract for the Sauber team. Let's remember that in the middle of the second millennium, the ownership of Sauber belonged to BMW.

Sauber said that this deal guarantees the long-term future of the company and will take the team to a higher level.
The owner of Sauber, Finn Rausing, who saved the team from bankruptcy years ago and is also said to retain his stake in the team, called Audi the best strategic partner for the company's future.

¨It is clear that we have common values ​​and vision, and we look forward to achieving our goals together in a strong and successful partnership,¨ said Rausing.

Sauber is in a recovery phase after financial problems in mid-2010. Under the leadership of Fred Vasseur, they gradually expanded and strengthened the team, so that this year the team returned to the upper middle of the competing teams, a position Sauber had already achieved in the past.
But they still haven't been able to fit production costs into F1's limited budget, something they expect to be able to do under their contract with Audi.
Vasseur said the partnership with Audi was a key step for the team's long-term ambitions. He says that it is an honor and a great responsibility for them to officially become partners.

Both Vasseur and Rausing agree that this is the best future for the team and are absolutely confident that they can deliver and help Audi achieve the goals they set themselves when entering Formula 1.

For once, it is not yet known what share of Sauber they will take over from Audi, but it is suggested that they will gradually take majority control of the team.
What this means for the team's personnel is not yet known, as the only news from Audi so far concerns their engine program, for which Audi F1 CEO Adam Baker is responsible.

Audi board member Oliver Hoffman, who is in charge of the corporate F1 program, says: ¨ We are delighted to have acquired such an experienced and competent partner for our ambitious project of entry into Formula 1. We already know the Sauber team as a modern and experienced team from previous collaborations, and we are sure that together we will form a strong team.