Sauber launches UK engineering hub ahead of Audi F1 takeover in 2026

Sauber is about to determine a United Kingdom base because it prepares to morph into the Audi Formulation 1 manufacturing facility staff in 2026.

The staff’s headquarters will stay within the Swiss municipality of Hinwil, whereas working its energy unit operation in Neuburg, Germany.

However it should now open a 3rd location within the UK’s ‘motorsport valley’, which covers England’s South East and Midlands areas the place seven F1 groups are presently primarily based.

Sauber’s transfer is to capitalise on attracting one of the best expertise accessible by interesting to staff already employed at groups across the Silverstone space.

The Swiss outfit, which completed backside of the 2024 F1 constructors’ standings, hopes that the brand new engineering hub will probably be opened this summer time permitting newly-recruited workers to stay within the UK fairly than relocating abroad.

This initiative is a key part of the Audi mission’s long-term technique to increase its technical staff. Sauber says it’s taking a look at potential websites together with Bicester, Silverstone and Milton Keynes forward of Audi’s full takeover for the 2026 marketing campaign.

Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport, said: “We’re excited to determine our technical centre within the UK to enrich our key web site in Hinwil, which is able to proceed to steer our foremost engineering operations and expertise the biggest staff development.

“Increasing into the UK permits us to stay near one of many world’s most dynamic motorsport ecosystems.

Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Workforce KICK Sauber

Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos

“Our imaginative and prescient is to create a robust, collaborative community throughout Hinwil and the UK, driving innovation and efficiency.”

The UK engineering hub is not going to kind a part of the proposed FIA ‘value cap offset’ for 2026, which is about for Sauber to profit from a better value cap resulting from Switzerland’s excessive value of dwelling.

Sauber has lengthy argued its workers prices are larger because of this, in comparison with its rival groups within the UK and Italy (the place Ferrari and Racing Bulls are primarily based).

“It’s our accountability to be honest,” FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis stated on the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

“It turned apparent to us that salaries in sure international locations are a lot, a lot larger and price of life is way larger in sure international locations.

“I see it myself, I stay in Geneva. Each time I am going to the grocery store I give it some thought. And we felt {that a} staff primarily based in a excessive labour-cost nation like Switzerland would find yourself having roughly 30 % and even 40 % fewer individuals engaged on the automotive, which we felt was essentially unfair.

“We have determined that this might both result in us making an attempt to take some protections from a regulatory level, or it might ultimately imply that groups couldn’t function and a staff like Sauber must mainly shut and transfer to a different nation, which we do not assume is the fitting manner for a world championship to function.”