MADRID, 8 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Audi announced this Friday that it is acquiring one hundred percent of the Sauber Group, accelerating and reinforcing its “commitment” to Formula 1, a competition that the German brand will join in the 2026 season, coinciding with the change in regulations, according to a statement. .
“The members of the Supervisory Boards of Audi AG and Volkswagen AG have decided to strengthen the commitment to Formula 1 and accelerate preparations for the start of the 2026 season. Audi plans to acquire a 100% stake in the Sauber Group,” the company announced on its website, after already applying as a new brand for F-1 in August 2022.
Led by Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, the brand with the four rings focuses on “a stronger positioning on the world stage”, for which it appointed new project managers in Formula 1. Thus, Oliver Hoffmann will be responsible of the Audi F-1 program as General Representative, while Andreas Seidl, current CEO of Sauber, will continue to be CEO of the Audi F1 team.
With this new position, Hoffmann will unite the three pillars of the Formula 1 program: “participation in the historic Swiss team, the development of the power unit by Audi in Neuburg, as well as the strategic direction and activation of the program by part of Audi AG”.
To this end, Audi reached an agreement with Sauber’s current majority shareholder, Islero Investments AG, which “fully supports the change.” Following this, Hoffmann will become Chairman of the Board of Management of all Sauber companies and will cease to be a member of the Board of Management of Audi AG.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner will take charge of the Technical Development division. “In addition to shortening development timelines, it will primarily focus on more efficient structures and clearer areas of responsibility in order to operationalize the prioritization of products and technologies as prescribed by the Audi Agenda,” the company explained.
For the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Audi AG, Manfred Döss, the entry into Formula 1 “is not only the pinnacle of Audi’s successful history in motorsport, but also a sporting challenge as great as a financial commitment.” “By grouping Hoffmann’s responsibilities and fully acquiring Sauber, we are accelerating our preparations for the 2026 season,” he added.
Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG, thanked Hoffmann for his “tireless dedication.” “Over the last few years, Oliver has contributed significantly to fine-tuning Audi’s product DNA which we are now bringing to the market step by step with the launch of the Audi Q6 e-tron,” he noted.
Finally, Hoffmann himself was “proud of the extraordinary resulting products” at Audi. “Motor racing, and in particular Formula 1, is my great passion. I am convinced that by taking over 100% of the Sauber Group, we will further accelerate our preparations for the launch in 2026,” he celebrated.