Can’t be a coincidence
Alfa Romeo will withdraw from Formula 1 after next season. For the time being, it seems that the Sauber team will continue under its own name as of 2024. But later there is also Audi …
It is currently raining Formula 1 news, because F1 is back from the summer break. First there was the announcement today that Audi will be active in Formula 1 as of 2026, now the news comes out that Alfa Romeo will withdraw at the end of 2023. The two things may have more to do with each other than appears at first glance. Audi has yet to announce which team it will work with from 2026 and Sauber is tipped as the biggest contender. Alfa Romeo Racing is in fact the Sauber team.
Alfa Romeo announced in 2017 that it would return to Formula 1 for the first time since the 1980s. For the 2018 season, Sauber F1 was renamed Alfa Romeo-Sauber. As of 2019, the name was even completely changed to Alfa Romeo Racing and the name Sauber disappeared. However, the home base is still Sauber Motorsport in Hinwil, Switzerland. There the cars are made by Sauber, while Ferrari supplies the engines. Unless the Swiss finds another title sponsor before 2024, the team will be renamed Sauber that year again. In 2026 it will probably be Audi F1 or Audi-Sauber F1.
Sauber has been active in Formula 1 since 1993 and has since worn out various car manufacturers as partners. Initially it was Mercedes-Benz (1993-1994), then Ford for a few years. After a long-term partnership with Ferrari, the racing stable went through life as BMW-Sauber from 2006 and surprisingly booked a double win in the Canadian Grand Prix in 2008. After BMW’s departure in 2010, Sauber was again dependent on Ferrari power sources. And Alfa Romeo appeared on the scene. From 2026, therefore, very likely Audi.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl