Audi F1 release statement as TEAM SALE rumours emerge

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F1 News & Gossip

Audi release statement as TEAM SALE rumours emerge

Audi will take over Sauber in 2026

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 10 November 2024 10:57 Updated: 16:05

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Audi have released a statement as rumours about their team being for sale have emerged.

The German manufacturer will take over Sauber in 2026, as they prepare to launch a bid to fight at the front of the field come the next regulation changes.

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However, the team will have a huge task ahead of them to recover from their current position at the bottom of the 2024 constructors' standings.

Neither Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu have acquired a single point during the 2024 season, with the Sauber team only having three more races to change this unwanted statistic.

The 2024 season has been woeful for Sauber

Gabriel Bortoleto has completed Sauber's lineup

Can Audi compete at the top in F1?

Sauber will undergo a driver lineup transformation in 2025, with Nico Hulkenberg joining the team from Haas and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto stepping up from F2.

Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will also be joining Audi, and will take on the role of team principal from 2026.

While only time will tell if their new lineup can help transform the team’s fortunes, Audi appears to have interest from an investor before they have even made their debut in F1.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund wants to acquire a minority stake in Audi.

The fund already owns shares in Volkswagen and Porsche, and Audi would likely use the money to expand their base in Hinwil, Switzerland.

As reports have circulated about the sale, Audi has responded to the claims in an official statement made to the above publication, and did not want to confirm the sale of shares in their team.

"We do not participate in speculation. The team is not for sale," they said.

Red Bull Audi Las Vegas Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas Sauber Zhou Guanyu