"It's important in terms of budget possibilities" - Sauber engineer on the impact of Audi's 100% takeover of the Swiss outfit

Sauber hasn't captured F1 news headlines in recent seasons owing to its relatively uninspiring performances. However, the Swiss-based outfit is expected to benefit from Audi's investment - even before the German manufacturer officially joins the field in 2026.

Speculation and uncertainty have characterised Audi's planned entry into Formula 1. A combination of factors has seen rumours emerge about whether their ambitions at the pinnacle of motorsport are genuine.

However, the German brand silenced speculation last week by taking over 100% of Sauber. This was more than the originally planned 75%, an undeniable signal of their intentions to commit to the sport.

This acquisition helps accelerate the team's preparations for 2026 and improves the prospects of the Hinwil-based team in the interim. Head of Trackside Engineering, Xevi Pujolar, emphasized this point:

"Certainly, this is encouraging for the future. But we also have to think about the present," motorsport-total quoted him as saying.

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Audi surprises F1 news outlets with Sauber investment

While Zhou Guanyu was within touching distance of points in Bahrain, a top-10 finish ultimately eluded him.

The first two rounds of 2024 indicate that Sauber is involved in a very competitive midfield fight. Unlike in previous years, however, the Formula 1 field has a definitive top-5 group of teams.

As a result, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas will likely have to rely on brilliant execution and misfortune from the front-runners to score points this season. In many ways, this identifies why Audi's arrival is so important.

Without significant resources and financial muscle, fighting for major honours in F1 becomes an unrealistic goal. Ayao Komatsu's Haas, for example, became a prominent case study for F1 news outlets on this issue this winter.

Sauber engineer Pujolar provided additional information about the value of the investment (via motorsport-total):

"I would say it's important in terms of budget possibilities and what we can build in the next year and a half or two years before Audi is fully there and we are Audi.

"We have to do as much as we can now to support the team to build up so that we are ready when it matters.

"But during this time, we still want to be competitive and fight for the points in every single race."

Sauber and Audi will surely feature prominently in F1 news outlets this season, both for their on-track and off-track activities. After all, the Swiss team's push for performance is accompanied by rumours that Nico Hulkenberg is one of their targets for next year and beyond.

Depending on how far Audi exerts its influence on the team, there could be more visible changes before its official entry in 2026.