Sauber is preparing for the first start of an Audi engine.
In 2025 Sauber is having its best season in a long time – at least that's what the number of points scored by its drivers, the fact that it sits eighth in the Constructors' Championship, and Nico Hülkenberg's July podium at Silverstone suggest.
When Jonathan Wheatley, the head of the Swiss team, was asked whether Sauber is positioned to fight for higher places in the final stage of the championship, since the gap to Aston Martin and Racing Bulls is not that large, he replied:
"The difference in pace between cars from different teams is very small, the intense rivalry will continue until the very end of the season, and in the end the one who makes fewer mistakes will be ahead. But to be honest, I like how we're racing right now. I like this atmosphere of competitiveness, when everyone is producing roughly equal results, and I'm just enjoying how the season is unfolding."
Next year the factory Audi team, which is being created on the basis of Sauber, will make its World Championship debut, and preparations for this event are entering their final stage. According to Wheatley, all work is going according to plan: "Power unit development has already entered its final phase, the engine specialists are working on reliability issues. Work on the chassis is also progressing successfully, and we are already preparing to carry out the first engine start, which should also take place on schedule.
"These are also great news, because for the first time an Audi car built for Formula 1 will be fitted with a new engine, and I can't even put into words how excited I am to see that moment. We face extremely difficult tasks, because in the process of creating the factory Audi team we are implementing large-scale reforms, and this is a very exciting time!"
Wheatley believes it is premature to make forecasts for 2026, when the championship will switch to next-generation machinery: "Serious challenges await us, because it will be Audi's first year in Formula 1. We will introduce both a new chassis and a new power unit at the same time, and that's a very large-scale project.
"And I think it's too early to say what next season's races will be like. First you need to understand what these cars will be capable of on track. And in Formula 1 surprises are always possible, and you can never predict what might happen."
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Sauber is preparing for the first start of an Audi engine.
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