AUDI FIRES UP NOW
After months of speculation, Audi has made a move which can only be interpreted as confirmation of a full commitment to its Formula 1 programme.
While it was initially understood that Audi would only buy a majority stake in the Hinwil-based outfit, with former owner Finn Rausing retaining a minority stake, the company has now officially announced it “plans” to buy 100 per cent of the shares – a year and a half after the launch of the programme was announced. The deal has been agreed by all parties and is expected to be finalised in the near future.
One of Audi’s top managers, Oliver Hoffmann, has been appointed to lead the project. At the same time, it was announced that Andreas Seidl, who joined Sauber from Mclaren just over a year ago, will become CEO of the team.
The move can be seen as an attempt by Audi bosses to remove the uncertainty surrounding the project in the F1 paddock. For much of last year it was widely speculated in the media that Audi’s management had developed cold feet about entering F1, particularly in the wake of the
CEO change in which Gernot Doellner replaced
Markus Duesmann, who was said to be a major supporter of the expensive project.
Insiders claim that at this point the opponents of the F1 programme within Audi tried to use the situation to trigger a U-turn before any major investment had actually been fulfilled – and divert funds to other projects. The silence of
Doellner – who, in line with Audi’s corporate standards, refrained from making any official comment in the three months after taking up his post – became fertile ground for further speculation. Sauber management’s attempts to refute it were only partially successful. It would be logical to assume this did little to help its recruitment campaign.
It’s understood that the latest move, designed to demonstrate management’s determination in deeds as well as words, will allow the team to operate with a larger budget. This will allow Seidl to work on infrastructure development.
At the same time, it sends a clear message to those whom the German manager sees as potential future employees of the new Audi team, including drivers. It’s understood Seidl’s main target is Carlos Sainz, with whom he worked at Mclaren and who is still without a contract for 2025. Audi’s commitment could become Seidl’s main selling point in negotiations with Sainz.
Sauber is expected to continue expanding its workforce over the next two years, growing from just over 600 employees in Hinwil to around 800 by the start of 2026.
IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THOSE WHOM THE GERMAN MANAGER SEES AS POTENTIAL FUTURE EMPLOYEES