Sauber clears the air amidst rumors of Audi abandoning its F1 project
Sauber managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi has cleared the air around suggestions that Audi could back out from its F1 project. In the last month or so, there have been reports that the German automotive giant has seen changes at the board level. Now the senior management has personnel that are not too fond of getting into Formula 1 and are averse to the kind of investment that comes with it.
What has been interesting to note in all of this is the absence of Andreas Seidl, Sauber's CEO, from trackside operations as Bravi has taken over that role. While this was somewhat expected as Seidl is focused on getting the right people recruited for Audi's F1 project, this has led to a rise in speculation.
In a recent media interaction, Bravi said that Audi's commitment with Sauber and F1 will continue. However, since the team is still partnered with Alfa Romeo, communication has been limited. Bravi told media including RacingNews365.com:
"Audi has a strong commitment to Formula 1, of course together with Sauber. This commitment comes from a decision not only of the board of Audi but also the advisory board of Audi and the Supervisory Board of Audi Volkswagen. It’s a group decision and the commitment is there."
He added:
“Why there is a lack of communication is simple. We are the Alfa Romeo F1 team. So until the end of the year, we have certain limitations in communicating about the team, about the future, about the involvement of Audi and we fully respect Alfa Romeo for this. We don't want to make any kind of announcement or more than what is strictly related to the race and the championship. The commitment, as I said, is there. We are working hard to develop the structure of the team.”
Recruitment plan in place for Audi's F1 project
Talking about the recruitment plan, Bravi pointed out that the entire process is in place but since there are two owners and shareholders, everything is done in accordance with that. He said:
“We have a strong record recruitment plan in place. James Key is one, but we have on a weekly basis new appointments. It's not a matter of the involvement of Audi in financing the team or sustaining this development process."
He added:
“We have two owners, two shareholders, there is a governance in place according to the different stages of the transaction that will be completed ahead of the 2026 season. We are proceeding with the investment plan with everything in accordance with the governance that has been agreed.”
The rumors around Audi joining F1 are going to persist without a doubt but we might need to wait until the end of the season to truly understand the direction that the project is going to eventually take.