Audi F1 is set to become a Qatari-owned team as a takeover announcement is expected with the team set to rebrand for the 2026 season.
The German manufacturer first announced they would become an F1 power unit supplier in 2022, and would join the sport in 2026 once the new engine regulations are introduced.
This announcement was paired with the news they would be officially entering the sport as they partnered with Sauber, who are currently known as the KICK F1 team.
Sauber have been preparing for their Audi rebrand for quite some time, with the signing of German driver Nico Hulkenberg a key move for Audi who insisted on German representation in their driver pairing.
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This put the likes of Mick Schumacher in the running for the second Sauber seat for 2025, however, the team announced on Monday the signing of F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto for next season.
As well as driver representation, Audi hopes their arrival in F1 can reignite hope that the German Grand Prix can return to the calendar after being absent since 2019.
However, Audi themselves are set to become a non-German team with Qatar investors set to announce a majority stake in the team.
Ralf Bach told F1 Insider that Audi have already sold to the investors, and the announcement will be made at the Qatar Grand Prix next month.
Bach sees it as a major blow to Formula 1 in Germany, as the deal means Audi’s iconic four rings will essentially be ‘make-up’ for a Qatar-fronted team.
“What we also didn’t tell you is that Audi will no longer be a German team in the future because, from what I’ve heard, they have Qatari backers," Bach said via F1 Insider.
"The majority of the Audi team sold, more or less announced in Qatar. We will have Audi, [where] the four rings are just make-up. The majority of the team will belong to people from Qatar."
Tom Jenkins