FORMULA 1 NEWS: AUDI OPEN TO MORE INVESTORS BUT W….see more in comment

FORMULA 1 NEWS: AUDI OPEN TO MORE INVESTORS BUT W….see more in comment 

   Qatar deal opens door, but Audi stays in charge

Audi has confirmed it remains open to bringing in additional investors for its Formula 1 project, but insists it will retain full control of the team and its strategic direction. The German manufacturer already sold a minority stake to the Qatar Investment Authority in 2024 to help fund its 2026 entry, with that capital injection going directly into the Sauber operation based in Hinwil, Switzerland. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Bloomberg the company could sell another stake in the future, but stressed the F1 program is “an integral part of the transformation story of Audi” and not for sale in terms of leadership.

    Full takeover completed ahead of 2026 debut

Audi’s commitment was underlined when it moved from an initial 25% purchase of Sauber in 2023 to agreeing a 100% takeover of the Sauber Group. The deal, approved by the Audi and Volkswagen supervisory boards, bundles responsibility for the chassis team in Switzerland, power unit development in Neuburg, Germany, and the overall brand activation under one structure. Andreas Seidl remains as Audi F1 Team CEO “the face of the future Audi Formula 1 Team”, while Oliver Hoffmann was appointed General Representative to oversee the entire F1 program. The team will rebrand fully as Audi for the new engine and chassis regulations starting in March 2026 in Melbourne.

     Investment drive backed by F1 boom

The openness to more partners comes as F1 team valuations surge on the back of Netflix’s _Drive to Survive_ and growing US interest. Mercedes sold a stake at a ~US$6 billion valuation last year, with McLaren valued above US$4 billion, and Audi is using similar commercial momentum to secure partners like Revolut as title partner. Despite VW Group cost-cutting elsewhere, Döllner insists the F1 budget is protected: “You can’t build a future by only saving money. You have to invest”. With Sauber currently sitting midfield, team boss Mattia Binotto has set a long-term target of fighting for the world championship by 2030 — a goal Audi says it will pursue with outside capital, but on its own terms.