Formula 1 is set to get its new set of regulations from 2026. The biggest change these new regulations will bring will be in the engine department, as Formula 1 will move to 100% sustainable fuels, and will also see increased electrical power with a beefier MGU-K (Motor Generation Unit - Kinetic, the part responsible to generate energy when a car is braking), and an absence of an MGU-H (Motor Generation Unit - Heat). Taking advantage of this regulation change - which will level the playing field - Audi had already announced plans to join Formula 1 from 2026 as an engine supplier, and the German company - which is under the Volkswagen group - already has more than 120 people working on the project at its base in Neuburg in Germany.
Audi had earlier announced plans to enter Formula 1 from 2026 as an engine supplier.
There were also talks of Audi buying a stake in the Sauber F1 Team (which is currently rebranded as Alfa Romeo F1 team), and the team would then subsequently be renamed to Audi F1 Team. Now, ahead of the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix, Audi has announced that Sauber will become its “strategic partner” for its F1 programme, and that Audi also plans to acquire a stake in the Sauber Group, confirming a full works entry in Formula 1 from the 2026 season onwards. Sauber’s title partnership with Alfa Romeo is set to come to an end at the end of 2023, and the team will continue to use Ferrari engines until the end of 2025.
“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.” said Oliver Hoffmann, Audi AG Board Member responsible for the F1 programme. “The partnership between Audi AG and Sauber Motorsport is a key step for our team as we continue to make progress towards the front of the grid. To become Audi’s official works team is not only an honour and a great responsibility: it’s the best option for the future and we are fully confident we can help Audi achieve the objectives they have set for their journey in Formula 1,” Sauber Motorsport CEO and F1 Team Principal Fred Vasseur added
Audi has plans to buy a stake in the Sauber Group too.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1 said, “It is great news to hear that Audi will have a partnership with Sauber for their entry into Formula 1 in 2026." "We look forward to seeing their progress over the coming years and the car on the grid for the team’s first race.”
Post 2026, Sauber will continue to develop & manufacture the racecar, while Audi will build the engines powering it.
Post 2026, Sauber will continue to develop and manufacture the team’s race car at its headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, and will also run the race operations under Audi’s banner, while Audi will be responsible of developing the engines. Audi also said that the expansion of its Neuburg facility in terms of personnel, buildings and technical infrastructure should “be largely in place in 2023”, and the carmaker plans to run the first tests of the 2026 power unit in a Formula 1 test car in 2025.
