How Sauber’s 2026 Audi works team integration is changing Hinwil

The redevelopment of the Hinwil site occupies a space less than one kilometre from the existing base on Wildbachstrasse. Parts of the new campus on Zurichstrasse became operational in summer 2026. This expansion will not finish until 2030. The team will use the Wildbachstrasse facility for manufacturing and wind tunnel operations. This keeps the expertise in Hinwil while the new campus provides space for engineers, designers, and specialists to work together. Motorsport in Hinwil began in 1970, and the town hosted the 1993 South African Grand Prix. This infrastructure expansion provides the physical space required for the Audi era.

The organizational structure of the team follows a new division of responsibilities. Mattia Binotto is the CEO and Team Principal of the Audi Revolut F1 Team. Jonathan Wheatley is the acting Team Principal. Binotto focuses on the organizational parts of the company. Wheatley manages the 24 Grand Prix events. This division of tasks differs from the structures of other teams. The team aims to build a modern racing outfit from a blank sheet. This approach allows the organization to set up differently from its competitors.

The three-country technical network

The technical operation exists across three countries. Neuburg in Germany produces the power units. More than 120 people work in Neuburg on the engine project. Hinwil in Switzerland develops the chassis. Bicester in the United Kingdom provides a technical presence. The team coordinates these three locations to manage the chassis and power-unit development. This three-country network links the race team directly to the Audi engine programme.

The technical centre in the United Kingdom provides the team with access to the 25,000 industry professionals who reside within the region, which remains a dense concentration of motorsport talent and engineering expertise. This facility is located at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire. The team plans to use this site to bridge the gap in technical talent. The facility is in Building 123. It complements the primary engineering operations in Hinwil.

Recruitment strategies in Bicester

The decision to establish a base in Bicester addresses the difficulty of recruiting engineering staff in Switzerland. The Swiss labour market does not have the same density of motorsport professionals as the United Kingdom. Bicester is part of Motorsport Valley. This region contains seven of the ten Formula 1 teams. It includes the headquarters or technical bases of Alpine, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Red Bull, and Williams.

The Bicester site focuses on technical expansion and supply chain integration. The team uses this location to onboard staff in aerodynamics, suspension design, simulation development, and race operations. Being in the UK allows the team to work near a large pool of specialized talent. This move is a strategic effort to increase the influence of the team within the global Formula 1 landscape. The team expects to use the UK hub to attract engineers who would not relocate to Switzerland.

Technical specifications of the R26

The R26 is the chassis for the 2026 season. The car has a minimalist design. The livery uses three colours: silver, black, and red. This design language follows the identity of the Audi brand. The 2026 technical regulations change the power balance of the cars. There is an equal split of combustion and electric power. This is a change from the 85:15 ratio used in previous years.

The cars are 30kg lighter than the entries from 2025. The engine is the Audi AFR 26 Hybrid. The team develops the engine and the gearbox in Neuburg. The car enters the track for the first time during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain on 26 January. This testing follows the official brand reveal in Berlin on 20 January. The team aims to use these technical changes to compete for the World Championship.

Driver performance and standings

The 2026 driver lineup includes Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. Hulkenberg is 36 years old. Bortoleto is a Brazilian rookie. In the current 2026 standings, Hulkenberg has 11 points. Bortoleto has 9 points. The team has 17 points in total. The team sits in 8th place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Hulkenberg achieved a fifth-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix. This result helped the team move up the standings. The team also moved ahead of Alpine and Aston Martin in the championship. I find the current points distribution between the two drivers to be a balanced reflection of their development. The team wants to maintain its position in the top six to secure a windfall of £19m at the end of the season.

Management realignment and the full takeover

Audi is taking 100 percent control of the Sauber Group. This includes Sauber Holding AG. Finn Rausing’s Islero Investments AG agreed to the proposal. The supervisory boards of Audi and Volkswagen approved the change in ownership. Oliver Hoffmann is stepping down from the Audi management board. He will become the general representative for the Audi F1 entry. He is responsible for the implementation of the Audi entry and the development of the power unit.

Gernot Dollner is the head of development. He will also take charge of the Technical Development division. Andreas Seidl is the CEO of the Audi F1 team. He is the public face of the operation. Alessandro Alunni Bravi is the Team Representative and Managing Director. He works with the trackside leadership team, which includes Xevi Pujolar as Head of Track Engineering & Operations and Beat Zehnder as Sporting Director. Seidl focuses on the strategic future of the Sauber Group and the team.

The roadmap to 2030

Audi intends to fight for the World Championship title by 2030. The project involves a three-phased approach. The team starts as a challenger with the ambition to grow. It then evolves into a competitor by challenging the status quo. Finally, it aims to become a champion. The team plans to test the 2026 power unit in a test car in 2025.

The team uses its academy to develop young talent. The academy has produced drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Mika Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, and Charles Leclerc. The current academy includes Theo Pourchaire, Lena Buhler, Marcus Amand, and Taym Saleh. Theo Pourchaire also serves as the third and reserve driver for the F1 team. He works with the F1 simulator and receives track time in the C43. Does the team have enough specialized personnel in Bicester to meet the 2030 deadline?