Business of Sports

Audi Plans Full Takeover of Sauber to Run Own F1 Team for 2026

Investors and car brands have been targeting F1 teams
Ford is also making a comeback in time for 2026 with Red Bull

Valtteri Bottas driving his Kick Sauber F1 racecar in Bahrain.Photographer: Clive Mason/Getty Images

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By Monica Raymunt and Siddharth Philip

February 28, 2024 at 10:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Volkswagen AG’s premium brand Audi is planning to buy out Switzerland’s Sauber Group’s F1 team, ahead of its plans to join the racing circuit in 2026, according to people familiar with the matter.

Audi acquired a minority stake in Swiss-based Sauber in January of last year, with an initial plan to reach a stake of as much as 70%, under then-Chief Executive Officer Markus Duesmann. Sauber is owned by investment firm Longbow Finance, which helps manage assets of the Rausing dynasty, the family behind Tetra Laval, one of the world’s largest food-packaging businesses.