Qatar Funding Authority acquires ‘important’ stake in Audi F1

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The 2024 System 1 season is winding down, however plans are already in movement for not simply the 2025 season, however the 2026 marketing campaign.

That season will convey monumental change to the game. Not solely will F1 implement a brand new sequence of technical rules for the 2026 season, however the sport will even see enlargement to 11 groups — with the newly-formed Cadillac-Common Motors group becoming a member of the grid — in addition to Audi, at present the Sauber group, taking on as a works operation.

Now there’s extra information on that entrance.

Sauber Holding AG, the longer term F1 manufacturing facility group of Audi, introduced on Friday that the Qatar Funding Authority (QIA), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, has agreed to “purchase a big minority stake” within the Sauber Holding AG.

Based on the announcement, the QIA’s funding will “present a considerable capital injection and pave the best way for growing infrastructure and group buildout, positioning the group for long-term success in System 1. The funding is in line with QIA’s give attention to investments with long-term development potential.”

The transfer is the newest aggressive determination introduced by the longer term Audi F1 venture. Throughout the summer season the group introduced that Mattia Binotto, previously the Staff Principal at Ferrari, was becoming a member of as each the Chief Expertise Officer and the Chief Working Officer of Audi F1. It was additionally introduced that Jonathan Wheatley, the longtime Sporting Director at Crimson Bull, could be becoming a member of the group subsequent 12 months as Staff Principal.

Audi introduced their drivers for subsequent season, a pairing of veteran Nico Hülkenberg and younger driver Gabriel Bortoleto.

Now the venture has the backing of the QIA, which based on Gernot Döllner, the CEO of Audi, will “speed up the group’s development” and result in elevated hiring and infrastructure enhancements.

“The funding by QIA displays the belief and confidence the Audi F1 Mission has already garnered, underscoring unwavering dedication of Audi to the initiative,” mentioned Döllner. “This extra capital will speed up the group’s development and is yet one more milestone on our long-term technique. QIA’s involvement additional energizes the devoted efforts at each the Hinwil and Neuburg services as they work in the direction of the entry of Audi in 2026.”

Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, the CEO of the QIA, pointed to the “more and more international recognition of System 1” as a cause for the transfer.

“Audi is a premium accomplice of alternative with a wealthy motorsport legacy. As a long-standing investor within the Volkswagen Group, we consider in Audi’s imaginative and prescient and course when coming into System 1 and our funding will assist the conclusion of this objective,” mentioned Al-Sowaidi. “QIA believes that System 1 is a sport with important untapped funding potential. The growing commercialization {of professional} sports activities as an leisure providing globally, and the more and more international recognition of System 1, has made for an thrilling alternative for our first main motorsports funding.”

The group will compete as Sauber for one remaining season in 2025, earlier than the change to Audi.

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