German luxury carmaker Audi has announced it will enter the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2026 with a works team. The marque will be completely acquiring the stakes in Swiss operation Sauber, and it has been made clear that Andreas Seidl will become the CEO of the Audi Works F1 Team.
This, though, was not in the original plans of the manufacturer, as in 2022, Audi had announced that it would join Formula 1 as a power unit supplier in 2026. Incidentally, the sport will introduce new regulations the same year, which will force engine suppliers and manufacturers to use power units that feature increased electrical power. Also, the internal combustion engine will have to run on 100 per cent sustainable fuel as well.
The team that Audi had opted to partner with was Sauber, one of the longest-standing teams in Formula 1, and it is the same team that the German marque has chosen to takeover completely. Currently named Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, the team, which has its headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, originally joined Formula 1 in 1993. An official announcement from Audi reveals that a corresponding agreement has already been reached with the current majority shareholder of Sauber.
Andreas Seidl, who Audi says will act as the face of the future Audi Formula 1 Team and oversee the running of its Formula 1 project, joined Sauber in 2023 as the CEO from McLaren, a team that he steered as the team principal between 2019 and 2022. According to Seidl, the team already has a clear roadmap to become competitive. It will work from Hinwil and from its F1 power unit facility in Neuburg, Germany.
Another important member who will join the Audi F1 team is Oliver Hoffmann, who currently heads Audi’s Technical Department. In his role as a General Representative, he will be responsible for the team, the power unit, and will also go on to become the Chairman of the Board of Directors of all companies under the Sauber Group.
Hoffman has previously held the role of Head of Audi Sport, and under him, the team has secured international wins and championships in DTM and Formula E and has tasted success in customer racing as well. Also, earlier this year, Audi became the first manufacturer to win the Dakar rally with an electrified powertrain.
