The 2024 Method 1 season is winding down, however plans are already in movement for not simply the 2025 season, however the 2026 marketing campaign.
That season will carry monumental change to the game. Not solely will F1 implement a brand new sequence of technical rules for the 2026 season, however the sport may also see enlargement to 11 groups — with the newly-formed Cadillac-Normal Motors crew becoming a member of the grid — in addition to Audi, at the moment the Sauber crew, taking up as a works operation.
Now there’s extra information on that entrance.
Sauber Holding AG, the long run F1 manufacturing unit crew of Audi, introduced on Friday that the Qatar Funding Authority (QIA), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, has agreed to “purchase a major minority stake” within the Sauber Holding AG.
In keeping with the announcement, the QIA’s funding will “present a considerable capital injection and pave the way in which for growing infrastructure and crew buildout, positioning the crew for long-term success in Method 1. The funding is per QIA’s give attention to investments with long-term development potential.”
The transfer is the most recent aggressive choice introduced by the long run Audi F1 challenge. Through the summer time the crew introduced that Mattia Binotto, previously the Staff Principal at Ferrari, was becoming a member of as each the Chief Expertise Officer and the Chief Working Officer of Audi F1. It was additionally introduced that Jonathan Wheatley, the longtime Sporting Director at Pink Bull, could be becoming a member of the crew subsequent yr as Staff Principal.
Audi introduced their drivers for subsequent season, a pairing of veteran Nico Hülkenberg and younger driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
Now the challenge has the backing of the QIA, which based on Gernot Döllner, the CEO of Audi, will “speed up the crew’s development” and result in elevated hiring and infrastructure enhancements.
“The funding by QIA displays the belief and confidence the Audi F1 Venture has already garnered, underscoring unwavering dedication of Audi to the initiative,” stated Döllner. “This extra capital will speed up the crew’s development and is one more milestone on our long-term technique. QIA’s involvement additional energizes the devoted efforts at each the Hinwil and Neuburg services as they work in the direction of the entry of Audi in 2026.”
Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, the CEO of the QIA, pointed to the “more and more world reputation of Method 1” as a cause for the transfer.
“Audi is a premium accomplice of selection with a wealthy motorsport legacy. As a long-standing investor within the Volkswagen Group, we consider in Audi’s imaginative and prescient and course when getting into Method 1 and our funding will help the belief of this objective,” stated Al-Sowaidi. “QIA believes that Method 1 is a sport with vital untapped funding potential. The growing commercialization {of professional} sports activities as an leisure providing globally, and the more and more world reputation of Method 1, has made for an thrilling alternative for our first main motorsports funding.”
The crew will compete as Sauber for one last season in 2025, earlier than the change to Audi.