Sauber has sought to silence doubts over Audi’s commitment to its takeover of the Hinwil-based Formula 1 outfit amid management upheaval at the German marque.
The continuing saga surrounding German auto-giant Audi’s F1 project entered another concerning chapter when German publication BILD reported that Chief Development Officer Oliver Hoffmann, a key architect credited with launching the project, could be leaving months after the exit of one of Audi’s other F1 architects, ex-CEO Markus Duesmann.
Hoffmann’s speculated exit is a result of being at odds with current Audi CEO Gernot Dollner over the direction of the company amid poor sales figures in its car division.
It is understood that the Volkswagen Group is set to determine Hoffmann’s future at Audi in March and a proposed outcome could see him moved into the F1 project sitting between Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl and Audi senior management.
However, Sauber Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi states that any change in this regard doesn’t affect the progress of the impending F1 takeover.
“There is a strong commitment from the Audi Group at all levels,” Alunni Bravi told Motorsport.com.
“We always said that the decision to enter into F1 was not based on a decision of single individuals, but was based on the decision of the management board of Audi.
“And it’s then been confirmed by the advisory board of Audi and the supervisory board of VW Group. So the commitment is there.”
In December, new CEO Dollner looked to quash any speculation following Duesmann’s exit, telling Handelsblatt: “There is a clear decision from the board of management and the supervisory boards of Audi and Volkswagen that Audi will enter Formula 1 in 2026.”
Dollner went on to state that an entire level of executive committees had been culled to speed up F1 developments.
However, placing Hoffmann in the F1 project represents an extra layer of management that has often proved cumbersome in a sporting environment.
But Alunni Bravi is confident Audi’s arrangement with Sauber is moving ahead at a positive pace.
“The project is proceeding according to the timeline and the agreed governance between shareholders,” he added.
“The dynamic within the board is not for us to comment on. But what we know is that we have a strong support.
“Andreas Seidl is working closely with the Audi people to develop our team towards 2026. This is what I think is important. Now there is some media speculation. It is normal that it is interesting to understand the status of the Audi project.
“But for us, the status is a good one. We are working hard at every level, together with Audi, both in Hinwil and in Neuberg. There is no change, and as we are approaching more and more the target of 2026, we need to work even harder.”
Audi has remained a silent body in the background as Sauber bridges the gap to its takeover, starting with a 25% stake in the operation last year which will rise to 75%.
For some on the outside, the progress being made to transform Sauber into a works outfit appears slow, both from a financial and technical point of view, but Alunni Bravi isn’t concerned.
“I’ve seen that in the press there are comments about whether or not Sauber in terms of structure is adequate to become the solid foundation for a works team,” he acknowledged.
“What I can say is when Audi decided to acquire the Sauber Group, there was a proper due diligence done at every level, including our facilities and the technology.
“We know that in order to become competitive for top positions we need to improve our facilities, to expand our facilities, our headcount, to invest in technology as all the teams are doing.
“We have seen in the last four years teams build new wind tunnels, in order to have a state-of-the-art facilities. They have all invested in technology and in people. We are doing the same.
“According to the governance, we will have the resources to reach our target. F1 is a technology sport. So the journey is not a one-year journey. It’s a process that we started under the leadership of Andreas, and we are working with the support of our shareholders.
“So there is and there will be everything to do to do a good job, according to the timing that is necessary to develop a works team from an independent team. It’s a big step, of course.”
