Source: REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
[Saba Sports News]Audi will take over the Sauber F1 team in 2026, hoping to compete for championships after new regulations come into effect. However, they currently face a significant challenge: how to escape the last place in the team standings this season. So far in the 2024 season, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have yet to score any points, and the Sauber team has only three races left to change this unacceptable statistic. To address this, Sauber plans to overhaul its driver lineup. Starting in the 2025 season, Nico Hulkenberg will join Sauber from Haas, and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto will be promoted from F2. Jonathan Wheatley, the sports director of the Red Bull team, will also join Audi, serving as team principal from 2026. While only time will tell if their new lineup can change the team’s fortunes, Audi seems to have attracted investor interest even before their debut in F1. According to media reports from AMuS, the Qatari sovereign wealth fund is interested in acquiring a minority stake in Audi’s F1 operations. With the reports of a potential sale circulating, Audi responded to the rumors in an official statement, stating that they are not involved in any investment and that the team is not for sale.