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Sauber to establish new technical center in the UK

Sauber has announced it is going to establish a new technical center for its Formula 1 team in the United Kingdom, in addition to its headquarters in Switzerland. The Sauber Motorsport Technology Center UK will “extend the team’s presence and …

Sauber has announced it is going to establish a new technical center for its Formula 1 team in the United Kingdom, in addition to its headquarters in Switzerland.

The Sauber Motorsport Technology Center UK will “extend the team’s presence and influence within the global Formula 1 landscape” ahead of its transition to become the Audi works team in 2026. Sauber is currently one of only three teams – including Ferrari and RB – that does not have its headquarters in the UK, although RB does have a footprint though its Red Bull ownership and a Bicester-based aerodynamics department.

The decision to create a hub in England is designed to give Sauber access to what it describes as motorsport’s largest expertise and talent pool, with some 25,000 industry professionals in the region near Silverstone.

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Known as “Motorsport Valley,” the area within 90 minutes’ drive of Silverstone is home to many suppliers as well as factories for McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Alpine, Haas and Williams. Sauber says it it is looking at potential locations within the region – including in Bicester, Milton Keynes and Silverstone itself – and intends to have the technical center operational by the summer of this year.

“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,” Sauber Motorsport COO and CTO Mattia Binotto said. “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.”

Sauber’s move would help it compete for personnel alongside the majority of existing teams, while the future Cadillac F1 team also has a facility already up and running at Silverstone. On top of the Sauber project, Haas is working on identifying a site for a new factory in the region, believing it needs to expand setup the current building it operates out of in Banbury.

Managing director Alunni Bravi to leave Sauber

Sauber team representative and managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi is to leave at the end of January, after eight years with the team. Alunni Bravi (pictured at left, above, with Racing Director Xevi Pujolar), joined Sauber in 2017 as a board …

Sauber team representative and managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi is to leave at the end of January, after eight years with the team.

Alunni Bravi (pictured at left, above, with Racing Director Xevi Pujolar), joined Sauber in 2017 as a board member and general counsel, going on to take up the role of managing director three years ago. He was then also installed as team representative in 2023 to take on public-facing responsibilities as it transitioned from Alfa Romeo to Stake before becoming the Audi works team next year, and Sauber has announced the Italian “will move on to a new adventure” at the end of this month.

“It is an emotional time as my journey with Sauber reaches its end,” Alunni Bravi said. “Since I joined in 2017, I have seen this team grow and change beyond what anyone could have imagined. This organization went through exciting and difficult times alike, all without ever losing its spirit and its commitment, which is something I find inspiring, and I was proud of being able to represent the team as its public face in the last two years.

“As I move on to a new project, I want to thank Finn Rausing, all those who put so much trust and faith in me at Sauber and Audi, and all the colleagues I have been working with for the last eight years. This team is a family and has a bright future ahead.”

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Alunni Bravi often had to front up during a tough start to 2024 for Stake, while behind the secede there were changes in leadership as Andreas Seidl was replaced by Mattia Binotto as Sauber Motorsport COO and CTO.

Binotto says Alunni Bravi’s support was particularly helpful after he joined the team last year, amid a period of significant change for Sauber as a wider company.

“Having worked closely with him in the months since my arrival to Hinwil, I want to pay tribute to Alessandro, a true team player who came to embody the essence of Sauber throughout the years,” Binotto said. “Alessandro played a wide range of roles within the team, steering it through difficult and exciting times alike. As he moves onto a new venture, the whole company would like to thank him for all his energy and contributions over the years and wish him the best for the future.”

Alunni Bravi’s departure is the second Formula 1 leadership position to change during January, following Mike Krack’s demotion to a trackside role at Aston Martin, with Andy Cowell taking over as team principal. Restructuring at this point of the season allows new incumbents to have control over their respective teams for a full year before new regulations come into effect in 2026, a point that offers opportunities for significant shake-ups to the competitive order.

Strong F1 rookie showings helped persuade Sauber to fast-track Bortoleto

Sauber was going to sign Gabriel Bortoleto for the Audi project in 2026 regardless of if he raced for the team in 2025, according to Mattia Binotto, but the team’s COO and CTO says the timing was partly reinforced by the strong performance of …

Bortoleto (pictured above), who is currently leading the Formula 2 championship standings, was announced on Wednesday as joining Nico Hulkenberg at Stake next season, before the Sauber-run team becomes Audi the following year for the start of new regulations. Hulkenberg and the Brazilian rookie will replace the current pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, and while Binotto says the recent strong showings by the likes of Oliver Bearman have not really surprised him, they have boosted confidence in the ability of newcomers to succeed straight away in F1.

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“I know how great some of the young drivers are. I know Ollie [Bearman] very well because of my past experience — he was part of our driver academy [at Ferrari] at the time,” said Binotto, who served as Ferrari F1 team principal from 2019-’22. “I knew that Ollie could do very well in F1 and that was not a surprise to me, to see how well he is performing today.

“I think, yes, they are all doing very well, and that’s great. It’s great for F1. But I trust them all — I know they can do well, and I don’t think that I was waiting to see them doing well to make a decision.

“I followed Gabriel’s career, certainly even more intensively in the last weeks and months. I saw him racing so well, being impressed by the speed, the potential, but also by this capacity to first develop and improve. I think he is one of the most talented and high-potential drivers we’ve got as rookies, and for Audi, that was a no-brainer — go for it.

“So, we would have gone for Gabriel — that would have been our choice anyway. The second question we were asking ourselves was should it be straight away in ’25 or should we give him some time first to develop and then maybe postpone to ’26?

“But finally, yes, also seeing young drivers doing well in F1 gave me more confidence with the fact that Gabriel can do very well from the very start, and that if any, that has been the convincing factor. Not of the overall choice for a young, interesting young driver for Audi — [for that] journey and project it is important and essential — but more how soon could that maybe be happening; and again, I am convinced he will do well from the very start.”

Bortoleto is set to join Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson as rookies tackling their first full seasons in F1 next year, while Franco Colapinto has also been linked with a seat in the Red Bull setup.

Tough call for Sauber to drop ‘very highly rated’ Bottas

Sauber Motorsport COO and CTO Mattia Binotto admits it was a tough decision to replace Valtteri Bottas with Gabriel Bortoleto in 2025. Bortoleto was announced on Wednesday morning, finalizing an all-new line-up next season of the Brazilian rookie …

Sauber Motorsport COO and CTO Mattia Binotto admits it was a tough decision to replace Valtteri Bottas with Gabriel Bortoleto in 2025.

Bortoleto was announced on Wednesday morning, finalizing an all-new line-up next season of the Brazilian rookie and Nico Hulkenberg. That means there is no place for 35-year-old Bottas, and Binotto admits the 10-time grand prix winner was one of the main contenders for the vacancy but that the timing felt right to introduce a young driver while the Stake team evolves into the Audi works outfit.

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“I’m getting on very well with Valtteri,” Binotto (pictured above, with Bottas) said. “It has been a great relationship since I’ve started here in August, building it, trusting each other. And I think we really set up and had good communication between us. We had several talks about the journey, the length and duration of the journey, and the difficulties we will maybe face in the next seasons.

“We know that the next one will be a difficult season as a team, as a journey towards the Audi F1 transformation. It’s a long journey. I think on the duration is where we mainly reflected together a lot, and it’s where I came to the conclusion that maybe we will need to have a young driver with us.

“So all of it with him has been a mutual, let’s say, understanding — if not agreement, certainly a mutual understanding — of the situation, the facts and what’s required.

“More than that, I would like to underline I think he has certainly been a very strong candidate. I know he’s very fast. I know that he has proven to be very fast until today, very fit, he knows the team. Certainly he is very highly rated here, and he’s very highly rated in the paddock.

“So overall it has not been an easy one, but sometimes you need to come to a conclusion and make a decision. And we made it.”

Bottas says both sides were aware of where their future plans did not match up, as the Finn now looks certain to not race in Formula 1 in 2025.

“A situation like this is never easy for anyone,” Bottas said. “But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realized that the conditions to grow this project together were not met.

“These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges and unforgettable moments. I’m grateful for the joint experiences as well as the trust and support I’ve felt every step of the way. Though it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us both.

“When one door closes, another one opens. I’m actually very excited for the future and what’s next.”

Audi backs Bortoleto due to ‘generational shift in F1’

Audi says young drivers performing at a high level as rookies is marking “a general shift in Formula 1” that persuaded it to back Gabriel Bortoleto for a race seat with its F1 partner, Sauber. Bortoleto has been announced as Nico Hulkenberg’s …

Audi says young drivers performing at a high level as rookies is marking “a general shift in Formula 1” that persuaded it to back Gabriel Bortoleto for a race seat with its F1 partner, Sauber.

Bortoleto has been announced as Nico Hulkenberg’s teammate at Sauber in 2025, for the final season before it completes its transition into the Audi works team. The 20-year-old won last season’s Formula 3 championship and is leading the F2 standings this year, in which fellow F2 drivers Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto have shown strongly on their F1 debuts. Audi CEO Gernot Dollner pointed to their example in explaining his company’s backing of the new generation.

“Led by Mattia [Binotto , chief technical officer], Audi’s Formula 1 project is making great progress in many areas,” Dollner said. “The signing of the second driver is another milestone. We are currently witnessing a generational shift in Formula 1, with young drivers immediately making an impact. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we have secured one of these top talents. His signing underscores Audi’s long-term strategy and commitment to Formula 1.”

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The choice of Bortoleto means current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will both leave the team at the end of the season, and Sauber COO and Binotto thanked both for their commitment over the past three years.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to Valtteri for the past three years together,” Binotto said. “He has been the embodiment of professionalism, using his vast experience to support the team’s growth. Valtteri’s dedication and approach have been invaluable during a pivotal time in our history, and the memories of these years will stay with us for a long time.

“In considering our driver line-up for the coming seasons, Valtteri was unquestionably a key candidate. With his fighting spirit, he frequently pushed the car beyond its performance limits. However, a decision had to be made. After open and constructive discussions, we mutually concluded that final conditions could not be met so we agreed that it is time to part ways. Valtteri will always have an open door here in Hinwil.

“The last three years have seen our team grow significantly on and off the track, and both Valtteri and Zhou have played a big role in this progression. At this time, however, following our discussion with Zhou, we have decided that our future lies in different places.

“We are grateful to Zhou for the last three years, for the commitment and the hunger he has shown from the first moment he drove for us to today. Scoring points on debut and helping the team to P6 in 2022 was a statement of intent, but so was his contribution off track and at the factory.

“We want to celebrate our journey together with three strong races to finish this season, and both the team and Zhou are committed to giving everything in Las Vegas, Doha and Abu Dhabi together.”

Sauber confirms Bortoleto for 2025 as Bottas and Zhou depart

Sauber has confirmed Gabriel Bortoleto will drive for its Formula 1 team in 2025 and beyond, with current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both set to leave the team at the end of the season. Nico Hulkenberg’s move to the team ahead of its …

Sauber has confirmed Gabriel Bortoleto will drive for its Formula 1 team in 2025 and beyond, with current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both set to leave the team at the end of the season.

Nico Hulkenberg’s move to the team ahead of its transition into Audi was confirmed earlier this year, leaving just one seat available at Sauber and the two current drivers facing competition from elsewhere. Sauber has now confirmed Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto will join Hulkenberg on a multi-year deal, having first announced the departures of Bottas and Zhou.

“This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports,” Bortoleto said. “Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honor. Beyond simply being a member, I aim to grow with this ambitious project and reach the pinnacle of motorsport.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity given to me by the team and for the chance to work alongside an experienced driver like Nico. Both programs have a proven track record of nurturing young talent, and I am confident that together, we will write our own success story.”

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20-year-old Bortoleto gives Brazil its first full-time F1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017, and Sauber boss Mattia Binotto says having Hulkenberg in place allowed the team to go for a rookie.

“Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver,” Binotto said. “We are very pleased that he will become a team member of Sauber and Audi. Together with Gabriel, we are on a journey towards success, and we will evolve into a unified force to shape a new era for Audi in motorsport. Nico and Gabriel represent the ideal combination of experience and youth, positioning us strongly for the future.”

Bortoleto was part of McLaren’s driver development program but his current team confirmed he would be released in full at the end of this season to join Sauber.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Gabriel over the last year and to have been able to contribute to his success and growth as a driver through the McLaren Driver Development program,” McLaren said in a statement. “We have a strong driver line-up in Lando and Oscar, and therefore we have always been clear that we would not stand in the way of an opportunity for Gabriel to progress whilst we are not in the position to offer him a seat with McLaren.

“We look forward to continuing to support Gabriel in his campaign for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 title and wish him all the best for his career beyond F2.”

2023 F3 champion Bortoleto leads the F2 standings by 4.5 points from Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, with two rounds of the season remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Rueda to take over from Zehnder at Sauber in 2025

Former Ferrari sporting director Inaki Rueda will take over the same position at Sauber in 2025 ahead of its transition into the Audi works team, replacing long-time incumbent Beat Zehnder. Zehnder has been part of Sauber since the 1980s and will be …

Former Ferrari sporting director Inaki Rueda will take over the same position at Sauber in 2025 ahead of its transition into the Audi works team, replacing long-time incumbent Beat Zehnder.

Zehnder has been part of Sauber since the 1980s and will be remaining with the company as director of signature programs and operations, but relinquishing the sporting director role at the start of next year.

“In this new role, Zehnder will ensure the rich heritage of Sauber Motorsport continues to grow, uphold its core values and lead efforts to innovate and shape its future,” Sauber said in a statement. “Throughout 2025, he will fulfill a supervising function to assure the best possible transition as the team grows into its new structures.”

In his place comes Rueda from Ferrari, where he had been sporting director head of race strategy from 2021 until 2023. Early last year, Ravin Jain replaced Rueda in the strategy position, before the Spaniard took on factory-based roles this season.

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Also joining Sauber is Giampaolo Dall’Ara, who will be the new head of race engineering at Hinwil. Dall’Ara has previously worked for Sauber but since 2016 has run his own consultancy firm and been part of multiple other motorsport projects.

“The appointment is part of a move to optimize alignment on all car performance-related topics and to ensure a joint operations approach to topics concerning the car’s performance, and as part of which the company integrated the race engineering department into the technical group,” Sauber stated.

Ahead of Audi’s Formula 1 entry in 2026, Sauber added that the leadership changes “infuse the team with renewed confidence as they strengthen the organization as it prepares for future challenges and opportunities, with a bright future as a factory team ahead.”

Hulkenberg to leave Haas for Audi project in 2025

Nico Hulkenberg will join the Audi Formula 1 project by moving to Stake in 2025 on a multi-year deal, bringing an end to his time racing for Haas. Haas signed Hulkenberg ahead of the 2023 season after he had been out of a full-time Formula 1 seat …

Nico Hulkenberg will join the Audi Formula 1 project by moving to Stake in 2025 on a multi-year deal, bringing an end to his time racing for Haas.

Haas signed Hulkenberg ahead of the 2023 season after he had been out of a full-time Formula 1 seat for three years, and the German duly delivered impressive performances, particularly in qualifying. This year his strong form has continued, with three point-scoring results in the first five races, making him a key target for Audi when it becomes a full constructor from 2026 onwards.

“I’m returning to the team I worked with back in 2013 and have fond memories of the strong team spirit in Switzerland,” Hulkenberg said. “The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special. When a German manufacturer enters Formula 1 with such determination, it is a unique opportunity. To represent the factory team of such a car brand with a power unit made in Germany is a great honor for me.”

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With Hulkenberg becoming the first confirmed driver for Audi when it enters in 2026, future Audi F1 CEO Andreas Seidl — currently CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG — says his experience will be vital to the team’s development.

“We are very pleased to welcome Nico back here in Hinwil from 2025 and to compete with him in Formula 1,” Seidl said. “With his speed, his experience and his commitment to teamwork, he will be an important part of the transformation of our team — and of Audi’s F1 project.

“Right from the start, there was great mutual interest in building something long-term together. Nico is a strong personality and his input, on a professional and personal level, will help us to make progress both in the development of the car and in building up the team.”

In addition to Hulkenberg’s returning to the team over a decade on from a year racing for Sauber in 2013, the agreement also marks a reunion for him with Seidl, who was the Porsche team principal in the World Endurance Championship when Hulkenberg won at Le Mans for the team in 2015.

The news also confirms the departure of at least one of the current Stake lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at the end of this season. Carlos Sainz has been heavily linked with a move to join the Audi project following the end of his Ferrari contract this year.

Audi link making Stake a player in F1 driver market

Audi’s arrival in Formula 1 for 2026 is making Stake a serious player in the driver market this season despite on-track struggles, according to team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi. The Sauber-run team has yet to score a point in the opening …

Audi’s arrival in Formula 1 for 2026 is making Stake a serious player in the driver market this season despite on-track struggles, according to team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi.

The Sauber-run team has yet to score a point in the opening five races and has been hampered by pit stop issues that have caused a number of slow stops, frustrating drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. Despite the challenging results so far in 2024, the fact that Audi will take over the team and enter as a full constructor in less than two years is leading to a lot of interest from drivers, according to Alunni Bravi.

“First, let me say that there are a lot of speculations around our teams and comments,” Alunni Bravi said. “And, of course, I don’t want to comment on speculation… But there’s all the teams. There are 14 drivers without a contract fixed for next year. So, as all the teams, we are speaking with different drivers.

“It’s not the time for us to take any decision. It’s time to provide our drivers with a performing car. But let me say that we are happy that it seems that we can play a role — a different role in the drivers’ market for the future — thanks to Audi’s announcement and all the investment that will be done in order to improve our team

“So I think that is good news for our team. Finally we are attractive and we are not spectators, we are a player in the market.”

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During the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed discussions with Carlos Sainz had left him feeling that Red Bull could not compete with an offer Audi had made to the Spaniard, but Alunni Bravi says all teams and drivers are likely to have multiple discussions ongoing.

“I think they are mere speculation, because, every driver, I think, is speaking with a lot of teams to understand the situation, to understand if there could be a common vision on the project, especially for a team like us that is in a full transformation process ahead of 2026. But we are focused on our drivers and we respect our drivers.

“We know that we need to deliver better performance as a team. And this is the first step to start deciding what will be the driver lineup for the future. First, we need to consolidate our performance. So far, we didn’t score points. So I think that the main target, and the priority for the team, is to start scoring points and then to approach the drivers’ market, starting with discussion with our drivers and then having, of course, open eyes on the market.

“It’s not appropriate to disclose what could be the discussion in place. No one really knows what other teams are offering to the drivers, or are discussing with the drivers, and sometimes we don’t want to be part of a game that is done by others … I think that the car performance now is our priority and there will be time to take the right decision for the future.”

Bottas fears Stake struggles could impact his driver market value

Valtteri Bottas has acknowledged that the difficulties currently limiting results for Stake could impact his chances in this year’s driver market, as he ponders potential options in Formula 1 outside of the team. The Sauber-run team has yet to score …

The Sauber-run team has yet to score a point this season as it has struggled for performance on certain tracks, but also been severely hampered by pit stop issues. In Japan, a strong result slipped away from Bottas after he had been in the fight for Q3 on the Saturday. A full fix for the pit stop issue is not due until Imola and the Finn — who is out of contract at the end of this season — admits it’s harder to catch the eye when such opportunities are missed.

“That’s how motorsports works — sometimes it’s more difficult to show what you can do,” Bottas said. “I think the people that really look into the details and try to see how each driver is performing, they will see. But I would say that for the outside world, it’s tricky. When you’re not scoring, you’re almost hidden, in a way.

“I feel like I’ve had a couple of good qualifying sessions and good races so far, but they have been always compromised — something has happened, either on the stops or [something] else. All I can do is try and perform the best I can, so hopefully, the right people will see that.

“Absolutely [the team can see it]. They know the work I’ve been putting in. Like last week, still testing for two days in Japan, non-stop, I did five race distances, then flew overnight and went straight into the simulator doing the correlation. So they know.”

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Stating that remaining at Stake — set to become the Audi works team in 2026 — is not his only opportunity for next year and that he has multiple options within F1, Bottas acknowledges it could be dangerous to wait to finalize his next contract given the number of drivers available.

“I think there are things that will start happening quite soon,” he said. “Like, now, obviously Fernando [Alonso] has decided to stay with Aston, so that’s done. And, actually, there are not that many falling pieces anywhere.

“Of course there are questions on some drivers, like what is Carlos [Sainz] going to do? What’s Mercedes going to do? All these things. So, I would say ideally within the next few weeks it starts getting sorted. We’re working on it, for sure — talks have started, so it should be an interesting few weeks ahead.”