F1 | Sauber is all Audi: Rausing sold its shares to the Germans

The Audi accelerates. Since last week the Sauber F1 team has been managed by the staff of the German company. The decision taken by the Audi top management to complete the acquisition of 100% of Sauber, anticipating the time required by the plan launched in 2022, was dictated by several reasons.

The most obvious is the need to silence the rumors that have emerged in recent months which hypothesize a possible disengagement of the top management of the German company from the Formula 1 project, rumors that have grown after the arrival at the helm of the company of the new CEO Gernot Döllner replacing Markus Duesmann, the person who pushed for Audi's return to the top motorsport category. The second motivation was the need to start pushing for investments aimed at strengthening the Hinwil structure, home of the team.

Audi has formalized the name of the team that will debut in 2026 (Audi F1 Team) as well as the key figures of the program, starting with the president of the board of directors of the Sauber group, Oliver Hoffmann.

Andreas Seidl has been confirmed in the role of CEO, who will be entrusted with the management of the program of which he will also be the face and point of reference. His area of ​​expertise also includes the Audi Formula Racing GmbH department where the German power unit which will debut in the 2026 season is designed and built.

The advance of the acquisition time was discussed and completed by mutual agreement with Finn Rausing, who controlled his shareholding in the team through the company Islero Investments AG. According to information leaked at the time of the initial agreement, Audi should have acquired 75% of the share package, then evaluating complete control close to 2026, i.e. when the team will officially debut on the track.

Oliver Hoffmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Sauber Group

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

The decision to bring forward the acquisition is linked to the need to make investments aimed at 2026 in a short time. “By taking on 100% of the Sauber Group we will further accelerate our preparations for the launch in 2026 – confirmed Hoffmann – we have also managed to secure Andreas Seidl's services as CEO of the Audi F1 Team, he is the right man for our ambitious plan, he will make a significant contribution to Audi's Formula 1 project.”

Talking about 2026 today may seem premature, but in reality time is running out. The great ambitions of the program are not only focused on the power unit, and the need to create a single-seater in Hinwil that lives up to the objectives is probably a greater commitment even than the new powertrain project. The arrival of James Key as technical director was a first step, but much more will be needed to be able to bring a competitive car to the track.

Twenty years later, the operation repeats the one that was completed by BMW in 2005 with the acquisition of the Hinwil facility from the then owner and founder Peter Sauber. Curiously, many of the faces who today are at the top of the Audi organization chart were present in the BMW F1 program, from Hoffmann to Seidl, as well as other prominent people such as Adam Baker and Stefan Dreyer. The roles and jackets have changed, but many faces have been known for some time.