Sauber chief gives highly anticipated update on Audi F1 team as Ferrari drivers linked

Audi chiefs Oliver Hoffmann and Markus Duesmann pose with car at Spa in 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

Audi F1

Sauber chief gives highly anticipated update on Audi F1 team as Ferrari drivers linked

Audi are set to make their entrance into Formula 1 in 2026

Anna Malyon

Saturday 19 August 2023 17:12

Sauber managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi has recently given an update about the preparations made for Audi's arrival into Formula 1.

The German manufacturer are set to enter F1 as the new regulations take effect in 2026, with them currently entering the transitional period.

Despite accusations from Red Bull chief Helmut Marko who claimed Audi were ‘miles behind’ on their developments, Bravi has assured fans that they are on the right path.

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"The programme is on the right route. We are working hard to develop the team in these next two seasons,” Bravi said speaking to media including RacingNews365.

"We know that there are constraints linked also to the financial regulations, but we are, with Andreas Seidel, addressing all our weaknesses and try to seek all the best opportunities in the market to bring quality into our team and to develop our facilities."

Potential Changes

Former McLaren team principal Seidel transitioned to the Sauber group to aid in their evolution and development into F1.

There have also been recent changes within the team, with former CEO Markus Duesmann replaced by Gernot Dollner earlier this year. This caused speculation that Audi were changing their initial plans.

"The Audi project is based not on a single individual but is a project for all the company that has been, I would say, welcome at any level. And I think that there is no change. We work as a team, all together, to be ready for 2026," he added.

"This doesn't mean that the challenge is easy. We have such a strong competitor, we need to be really humble and to work on a daily basis at our best because the competition is extremely high for everybody, and especially in the PU manufacturer side.

"I think that the competition in 2026 will be really, really strong. So, we just need to be focused on our job and nothing change with the departure of Mr Duesmann."

Speculation regarding potential drivers for the Audi F1 team have circulated in the paddock as they gear up for their 2026 debut.

Names like Valterri Bottas, currently with Sauber’s Alfa Romeo team, as well as both Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have all been brought into the conversation.

While Audi’s entrance into F1 is still on the horizon, reassurances from figures like Bravi and the Sauber team have fuelled speculation that they will indeed establish a notable presence in the world of F1.