Fresh off disclosing its intention to field a works team in Formula 1, Audi has announced that it will commence a technical partnership with Swiss-headquartered Sauber Motorsport AG as a strategic partner in developing the future Audi F1 car for race readiness, a deal that will also see Audi acquire an ownership stake in Sauber. The deal will establish Sauber as Audi’s factory team at the pinnacle of world motorsport. The plan calls for Audi to create the F1 car’s hybrid-based powertrain in an expanded engine-development shop at Neuburg an der Donau in Germany, while the car itself will be brought on line by Sauber from its facility in Hinwil, Switzerland.
Founded by Peter Sauber in 1970, Sauber cut its teeth in European hillclimbs and in the World Endurance Championship, most notably partnering with Mercedes-Benz when the firm finally returned to organized motorsport after a decades-long absence. Sauber was also elemental in the building of the current Alfa Romeo team in F1. That deal runs through 2023, with Audi expected to join Formula 1 full-time, after utterly vanquishing Le Mans for a decade-plus, in 2026.
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