F1 Grand Prix Of The Netherlands 2024 Practice 1 And Practice 2 - Source: Getty
Former Ferrari man Mattia Binotto has shared shocking revelations about the condition the Audi project was in when he first joined the team. The German automotive manufacturer will join the sport in 2026 as a fully operational works team, and as a part of the project, the brand has fully acquired Sauber, which would get rebranded.
The process of change of ownership began in 2022 when Audi first announced that the brand was going to be on the grid in 2026, which would be the start of the new regulations. As it turns out, that involved a systematic buyout of Sauber, where the Germans would take over chunks of the team in a periodic manner.
As soon as the announcement was first made, it was followed by a period of stagnation at Sauber. The team started regressing in terms of performance in the pecking order, and it became hard for the drivers to compete with their rivals. After the Alfa Romeo partnership ended last season, the squad joined hands with streaming and betting platform Stake, which surprised many in the paddock considering Audi's already growing influence within the team.
