Although 100% official confirmation has not yet arrived, Audi will enter Formula 1 from 2026 after the Volkswagen Group council has given the green light to its plans for the brand with the four rings and its sister brand , Porsche , join the grid.
Everything seems to indicate that Porsche will join Red Bull in what will be a new association in the top category, but Audi’s future plans are still up in the air, since they have several possibilities open.
The Ingolstadt marque has been linked to McLaren, Williams and Aston Martin, but Sauber – which currently has a partnership with Alfa Romeo – seems the most likely choice to become Audi ‘s next team.
The Alfa Romeo name returned to F1 in 2019 when it became Sauber’s title partner following a deal that has since been renewed annually. But the Italians do not have a stake within the structure, so the Volkswagen Group brand has the door wide open.
In an interview with Motorspot.com at last weekend’s 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato acknowledged Audi’s interest but said they are not going to change their business model in the near future. the F1.
“Obviously I’m not blind,” he said when asked about Audi’s links with Sauber.
“But for me it’s easy, I don’t see any problem and I don’t have any worries. We are not going to change Alfa Romeo’s business model.”
“If one day someone jumps to get to our position, whoever and whoever it is, we will make the decision we have to make, but that’s it.”
“There’s really no stress about it. When you’re a brand like Alfa Romeo, which has been around for 112 years, the world is open to us everywhere.”
“In terms of business, we are in a good moment. 2021 was profitable for Alfa Romeo for the first time in a few years.”
“So we don’t really have any stress. I’m not scared at all, I wouldn’t even say I’m worried about the rumors I’ve heard around the paddock.”
“I am calm enough to focus on our business every day.”
Alfa Romeo has all the naming rights to the team, as well as the links between the Formula 1 operation and its road cars, but the brand does not provide the team with the same type of investment as other manufacturers in the series. grill.
Imparato said the nature of the partnership with Sauber gave Alfa Romeo “the best return on investment in the world”, benefiting from being able to participate in motorsport’s top flight without incurring the high costs of financing a team.
“We have invented a new business model with our Sauber colleagues, in which there is a double government between us,” explained Imparato.
“We know perfectly well, we decided that Frédéric [Vasseur] was running the team from the beginning, and we haven’t changed him, even though we went through some difficult times. We didn’t mobilize because we didn’t change our strategy every morning.”
“And as an Alpha, I am supporting them and I am doing everything I can to support that development. The step forward was for me, we have to progress year after year, race after race, even if we are having a hard time in some cases.
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