The Hinwil-based Sauber outfit is set to unveil its 2024 Formula 1 machine in the United Kingdom, marking a first for the team.
With the team’s six-year partnership with Alfa Romeo having come to an end, Sauber will compete under a new name in 2024 and ’25, ahead of the Audi takeover in 2026.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the Alfa Romeo C43 was launched simultaneously at Sauber’s Hinwil base and in Zurich for the final year of the Alfa/Sauber partnership.
However, a new identity has heralded a new approach to unveiling its car, as Sauber is set to break type with its proposed UK launch – with Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi making the revelation at this year’s Autosport Awards (via Autosport.com).
“On the 10th of December, as soon as the FIA will publish the entry list that we will of course announce the new team name,” Bravi said.
“I think will be a surprise and we cannot wait to start the partnership with our new partners.
“We will have, I think, a really fresh approach in terms of communication marketing and we will do a launch of the car here in the UK.”
While it might be uncommon for Sauber to launch an F1 car in the UK, it is not unique across the entirety of the sport.
Of the 10 teams currently on the F1 grid, seven have either all or a portion of their operations in the UK.
Red Bull (Milton Keynes), Mercedes (Brackley), McLaren (Woking), Aston Martin (Silverstone), Alpine (Enstone), Williams (Grove) and Haas (Banbury) all have facilities in the Uk, with a number of them known to use them to launch their cars over the years.
Now, Sauber will join a number of its competitors in launching a car on UK shores and that isn’t the only change coming for the outfit in the near future.
“Of course, we are working really hard in the transformation process,” Bravi added.
“We are still a small team, an independent one, but the challenge is big, so we are working to develop every area. Every department.
“It’s not just a matter of size, it’s a matter of finding the right people, as Sir Jackie Stewart said, people will be crucial.
“And the most difficult challenge for us is to identify the very best professional and to have the right process.
“Of course, the challenge is big. Everybody that we can buy, but we cannot buy time, and we are fully aware about this challenge.
“And I think to manage the expectations will be one of the most demanding things.”
But will Sauber simply be called Sauber over the next two years? Only time will tell.
“As you know, in Formula 1, the team name is also the pending foreign commercial partnership,” Bravi said.
“We don’t want to disclose anything more tonight.”
