Audi complete key milestone ahead of F1 entry

Audi has completed its takeover of the Sauber team ahead of its arrival on the F1 grid in 2026.

The German manufacturer announced in 2022 that it would join the sport when new technical regulations came into play, complete with its own power unit.

The project is currently being led by Mattia Binotto, with the former Ferrari team principal taking on the chief operating officer and chief technical officer roles in August last year.

He will be joined in April by Jonathan Wheatley, who has been named the team principal following his exit as sporting director at Red Bull.

As the Audi F1 set-up continues to take shape, it has now completed its takeover of Sauber Holding AG.

Audi announced its intentions to do so in early 2024, with a team spokesperson now confirming to RacingNews365 that a “full takeover was completed as planned in January 2025”. 

They added: “Audi previously held a minority stake in Sauber Holding AG and is now the sole owner of the parent company of the Swiss racing team”.

No figure has been attached to the recent takeover, however multiple reports state it is in the region of €600 million.

Stake endured a difficult 2024 campaign and spent much of it at the back of the field, unable to compete for championship points.

Zhou Guanyu ensured it would not end the year with zero points to its name when he scored eighth place at the penultimate round from Qatar.

However, the team will enter the upcoming season with a brand-new line-up in Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

The pair have replaced Valtteri Bottas and Zhou, who spent the last three years racing for Stake.