The Ingolstadt team’s entry into the premier class is planned for 2026. But finally there were doubts. Now Audi is said to have taken an important step.
Audi and entry into Formula 1 – that seemed like a shaky game for a long time. In the summer of 2022, the Ingolstadt-based company announced its plan to enter the premier class in 2026, for the first time in the company’s history. The group also took over 25 percent of the Sauber racing team and is already a shareholder. With the entry, the team should also take over the name of the German car manufacturer.
Nevertheless, doubts remained until the end as to whether the brand’s eagerly awaited debut would actually take place – among other things, there were rumors that the new Audi boss Gernot Döllner was not a big fan of the project and was considering selling the acquired shares. In 2023, Döllner took over management from Markus Duesmann, who had pushed the Formula 1 project forward.
Important personnel
But now the racing portal “motorsport-total.com” reports: Instead, the Formula 1 company is even continuing to take shape – and Audi is now said to have taken a decisive step. Accordingly, the group has now completed “the next transaction stage” of the planned takeover of the Sauber racing team. “Bild” reported on Wednesday that Audi had already taken over 100 percent of Sauber. Neither the company nor the racing team wanted to confirm such reports. However, such a step would be a clear signal that Audi is sticking to its goal of “entering Formula 1 in 2026”.
According to “motorsport-total”, this is also indicated by a personal statement: Oliver Hoffmann, Audi’s board member for technical development, was reported in the Swiss commercial register at the end of February as a new member of Sauber’s board of directors. What’s interesting is that Hoffmann, alongside Duesmann, announced Audi’s entry into Formula 1 in August 2022.
Audi and the entry into Formula 1 – that no longer seems to be a shaky game.