On January 30, Sauber Group issued a statement that according to the plan outlined in October last year, Audi acquired a minority stake in Sauber Group in January 2023. This is an important milestone for Audi's planned participation in Formula 1 (F1) in 2026, and the Sauber Group will be a strategic partner for the German brand.
In October 2022, Audi announced its selection of Sauber as a strategic partner in F1 and will compete as a factory team from the 2026 season. The new power unit will be designed and manufactured by Audi's motorsport R&D center in Germany, while Sauber continues to develop and upgrade the race cars at its headquarters in Switzerland, as well as race planning and the team's race planning.
The Audi Motorsport R&D Center in Neuburg is currently being expanded. The new building covers an area of approximately 3,000 square meters and is equipped with a new test bench for the development of the power unit. The expansion has now officially begun. The Neuburg R&D Center is currently building complete power units for the F1 project, including an energy recovery system, electric motor, battery, high-efficiency combustion engine and transmission. The system will have about 50% of its power driven by electricity.
While the infrastructure continues to expand, the team at the Neuburg R&D center is growing steadily. At present, around 220 employees have joined the F1 project. Audi plans to increase the number to more than 300 by mid-2023.