Alfa Romeo Sauber might have just teased its Audi F1 partnership announcement date. In what was a rather cryptic post by the team on social media, it said that there was something new coming which would be announced on September 27, 2022. Although there is still speculation, there might be a case where the Hinwil-based squad will be announcing an imminent partnership with Audi when the manufacturer joins the sport in 2026.
Audi recently announced that it was entering F1 as a power unit supplier, starting in 2026. It has already been made clear that the German automotive giant is looking at a viable partnership to enter the sport.
Concerning viable partnerships on the current grid, multiple names have been thrown around starting with McLaren (the proposal did not work out), then Aston Martin, and finally Sauber. To further corroborate the speculation, Alfa Romeo has announced that it will end its title sponsor partnership with the team at the end of the season (a sign of Audi getting together with Sauber).
In an earlier revelation, Audi is expected to take over a 75% stake in Sauber in a phased manner. It would start with a 25% stake in the first year (2023), followed by another 50% stake in the next two seasons. While Porsche has seen its plans for an entry into the sport with Red Bull stall and has subsequently pulled the plug on the deal, Audi appears to be on schedule with its plans on entering the sport.
A recent report from La Gazzetta stated that negotiations with Sauber were on their way and could lead to a change in the management framework once the partnership is established. The report stated:
“Then remains the most important step, the collaboration with a team. Audi has already made it clear for some time that it is not interested in a role of simple power unit supplier, but it wants to influence the team’s choices. And it has set his sights on Sauber, the negotiations are underway and when the agreement is reached, the management framework will probably change.”
Audi has reportedly lined up former F1 driver for the team principal role
As per the aforementioned report, Audi has already lined up former F1 driver Cristiano Da Matta for the role of team principal and an infrastructure upgrade has already begun in Germany. The report stated:
“For now, a trusted team principal has not been designated, but among the suspects is Cristiano Da Matta, 48, a former Brazilian driver (he raced 28 F1 GPs with Toyota, obtaining 13 points) who has already been head of the Formula E .”
It remains to be seen whether the announcement is specifically for Audi, but in all likelihood, signs do point towards an Audi-Sauber partnership getting announced on September 27th.
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