The 2024 Formula 1 season is winding down, but plans are already in motion for not just the 2025 season, but the 2026 campaign.
That season will bring monumental change to the sport. Not only will F1 implement a new series of technical regulations for the 2026 season, but the sport will also see expansion to 11 teams — with the newly-formed Cadillac-General Motors team joining the grid — as well as Audi, currently the Sauber team, taking over as a works operation.
Now there is more news on that front.
Sauber Holding AG, the future F1 factory team of Audi, announced on Friday that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, has agreed to “acquire a significant minority stake” in the Sauber Holding AG.
According to the announcement, the QIA’s investment will “provide a substantial capital injection and pave the way for increasing infrastructure and team buildout, positioning the team for long-term success in Formula 1. The investment is consistent with QIA’s focus on investments with long-term growth potential.”
The move is the latest aggressive decision announced by the future Audi F1 project. During the summer the team announced that Mattia Binotto, formerly the Team Principal at Ferrari, was joining as both the Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of Audi F1. It was also announced that Jonathan Wheatley, the longtime Sporting Director at Red Bull, would be joining the team next year as Team Principal.
Audi announced their drivers for next season, a pairing of veteran Nico Hülkenberg and young driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
Now the project has the backing of the QIA, which according to Gernot Döllner, the CEO of Audi, will “accelerate the team’s growth” and lead to increased hiring and infrastructure improvements.
“The investment by QIA reflects the trust and confidence the Audi F1 Project has already garnered, underscoring unwavering commitment of Audi to the initiative,” said Döllner. “This additional capital will accelerate the team’s growth and is yet another milestone on our long-term strategy. QIA’s involvement further energizes the dedicated efforts at both the Hinwil and Neuburg facilities as they work towards the entry of Audi in 2026.”
Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, the CEO of the QIA, pointed to the “increasingly global popularity of Formula 1” as a reason for the move.
“Audi is a premium partner of choice with a rich motorsport legacy. As a long-standing investor in the Volkswagen Group, we believe in Audi’s vision and direction when entering Formula 1 and our investment will support the realization of this goal,” said Al-Sowaidi. “QIA believes that Formula 1 is a sport with significant untapped investment potential. The increasing commercialization of professional sports as an entertainment offering globally, and the increasingly global popularity of Formula 1, has made for an exciting opportunity for our first major motorsports investment.”
The team will compete as Sauber for one final season in 2025, before the switch to Audi.
