Autosport sister website Motorsport-Total.com understands the manufacturer has completed the next stage of its Sauber takeover, with Audi board member Oliver Hoffmann appointed as a Sauber director above CEO and ex-McLaren F1 team principal Andreas Seidl.
Audi announced its plans to enter a works team in F1 from 2026 at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix in a presentation led by Markus Duesmann and Hoffmann.
But Duesman was replaced as Audi CEO late last year and successor Gernot Dollner is reputedly far more sceptical about an F1 attack.
Hoffmann, the firm’s chief development officer and F1 advocate, was also reportedly set to be sidelined as he took the blame for road car models being postponed and for sluggish sales figures. This increased speculation that Audi was getting cold feet and could even consider selling the nascent F1 project.
However, those rumours have now been largely dispelled. Having taken over 25% of Sauber in early 2023, it is now believed that Audi will complete its transaction with Sauber owner Finn Rausing. While a 75% stake was initially circulated, Bild and Bloomberg report that Audi will realise a 100% takeover.
On Wednesday, ahead of the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP, Seidl is said to have appeared before the team in Jeddah and confirmed to employees that Audi's acquisition has now entered the final stage.
Source: Autosport