Major update to Audi F1 progress as team announces UK base plans

Sam Cooper
Showcar with Audi F1 launch livery

Audi will officially join the grid from the 2026 season, after its takeover of Sauber.

Sauber has announced that they will open a UK base ahead of Audi’s arrival in 2026.

The Swiss outfit were one of few constructors based outside of the UK but they hope a new technical centre will make them a bigger influence within F1.

Audi F1 announce UK base plans in major boost for project

The close-knit nature of Formula 1 bases mean that the likes of Sauber found it more difficult to entice senior figures away from other teams with an unwillingness to relocate away from the UK.

As it stands, Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Racing Bulls, Haas, Alpine and Williams all have a presence in the UK with just Sauber and Ferrari operating outside of what has been deemed motorsport’s Silicon Valley.

Now though, Sauber will open a technology centre in order to tap into the 25,000 members of F1 staff that work in the UK.

Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport, said: “We are excited to establish our technical centre in the UK to complement our key site in Hinwil, which will continue to lead our main engineering operations and experience the largest team growth.

“Expanding into the UK allows us to remain close to one of the world’s most dynamic motorsport ecosystems. Our vision is to create a strong, collaborative network across Hinwil and the UK, driving innovation and performance.”

The team say they are currently evaluating potential bases near Bicester, Silverstone, and Milton Keynes and the goal is to have it operational by summer 2025.

More on Audi F1’s arrival into the sport

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Audi F1 confirm Sauber takeover completed

The UK base comes after Audi confirmed they had completed the full takeover of the Sauber team ahead of the switch to the German brand in 2026.

The original intention was for Audi F1 to purchase only 75 percent of Sauber. However, plans were revealed in March last year for Audi F1 to fully acquire the Swiss-based team.

In a statement, Audi F1 confirmed that the takeover of Sauber was completed as planned at the start of 2025. The price was not disclosed, but is believed to be in the region of €600 million.

A spokesperson for Audi confirmed to PlanetF1.com that “closing was concluded in January, as planned.

“Audi now is the 100 percent owner of Sauber Holding AG, the mother company of the team.”

The news of Audi’s completed takeover comes after the marque announced last November that it had sold a minority stake in the F1 team – understood by PlanetF1.com to be around 30 per cent – to the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar.

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