Audi plans complete takeover of Sauber F1 team: Report

Audi is reportedly planning to completely takeover Swiss Formula One team Sauber before making its official entry into the world of F1 come 2026. The German car brand already has a minority stake in Sauber, acquired in January of 2023, and had previously planned to increase it to 70 per cent.

Audi's entry into F1 is eagerly awaited by many and news that it plans to enter the pinnacle of motorsport was mostly positive received when news around it broke in 2022. At the time, Markus Duesmann was the Audi CEO but he has since been replaced by Gernot Dollner. With a change in CEO, there may have now been a change in plans as well.

According to a Bloomberg report citing sources, Audi is looking at acquiring complete control of Sauber, an F1 team that is currently owned by investment firm Longbow Finance. In the season that began just this past weekend, Sauber marked its return as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber and its two main racers are former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and China's Zhou Guanyu.

With global popularity of F1 racing on the rise, car brands as well as investors at large have been looking at gaining a share of the pie. But there is a fair degree of secrecy as well. At least as far as intricate specifics are concerned. “There is a clear decision from the board of management and the supervisory boards of Audi and Volkswagen that Audi will enter Formula 1 in 2026. The plan is in place," is all Dollner recently told German publication Handelsblatt when asked for more information about Audi's work towards F1 entry.

Dollner, however, did raise a slightly accusatory finger at the former leadership. "We used to have a very complex landscape of committees. That is why we have now abolished an entire level of committees below the executive board. In short, we are now faster and all-important decisions are once again made by the entire executive board team."