Audi is busy behind the scenes with the takeover of Sauber from the 2026 season. These preparations also include designing a good car that meets the new 2026 regulations. A good designer, such as Red Bull’s Adrian Newey, could be a real asset to the team, but according to CEO Andreas Seidl, Formula 1 is not a ‘one-man show’.
With the persistent rumors surrounding a potential departure of Newey from Red Bull Racing, the top designer is also a topic of discussion among many rival teams. The British engineer is also mentioned in Sauber CEO Seidl’s interview with Michael Schmidt of the German Auto Motor und Sport. When Seidl is asked whether the Audi project needs a Newey, or even Newey itself, the CEO does not immediately answer in the affirmative.
“It is clear that there are one or two names in the Formula 1 circus that we would like to have in the team,” Seidl seems to allude to Newey. ‘Someone who not only brings know-how, but also attracts attention through his popularity. On the other hand, Formula 1 is not a one-man show.’
According to the Audi CEO, it is also important to put together a good team, instead of just choosing important individuals. ‘It is important for us that we put together a strong team with the right attitude to achieve something together. That is why, when filling key positions, we ensured that the employees concerned radiated this culture. We are also very attractive to top people in the scene and I am sure we have the right people at the start.’
Seidl explains choice for Hülkenberg
One of those people is driver Nico Hülkenberg. The German recently announced that he would exchange his current Haas team for Sauber from 2025. Seidl explains why the choice ultimately fell on Hülkenberg. “It is clear that, given the current level of performance, it is absolutely important for us to have the best possible driver pair at the start,” said the Audi CEO. “It also makes sense that our future Audi factory team driver team will be in the cars as early as 2025 to support the project from the start. The drivers can also help us in terms of team motivation and development direction. That’s why Nico is a top choice. There’s no question that he’s fast. With his experience, his teamwork and his great technical insight, he brings what we need.’
Who will take a seat next to Hülkenberg?
Sauber has already filled one seat for when the team is taken over by Audi, but the question remains who will take the other seat next to Hülkenberg. Carlos Sainz is one of the candidates linked to Audi, especially after Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously said that Red Bull could not surpass Audi’s offer to Sainz. “Our approach is clearly not to motivate drivers or other employees to come to us with enormous amounts of money,” Seidl is clear about the situation surrounding Sainz. ‘We basically have the financial resources of a top team, but we really think about how we can use every franc or euro wisely and efficiently. We want to attract people who want to be part of this journey and who want to guide Audi’s entry into Formula 1.”
The text continues below the image.
However, Seidl has not yet lifted the veil on whether Sainz is indeed a potential contender for Audi, and says that Sauber is first keeping a close eye on the market. “It makes sense to have at least one driver with experience, because we have to overcome many challenges at the same time. So it could be two experienced pilots (who will drive for Audi from 2026, ed.) or one with experience and a strong rookie. We continue to have discussions here, we follow the market and of course the performance of (Guanyu, ed.) Zhou and Valtteri (Bottas, ed.)’
