Audi continue to quell persistent rumours again
F1 News
- Ludo van Denderen
Audi will not make their official entry into Formula 1 until 2026, but the Germans are already keeping tempers high. Ever since the F1 adventure was announced, there have been rumours that Audi - part of the Volkswagen Group - is planning to call it quits after all. With the announced layoffs and closure of several VW factories in Germany, withdrawal stories are resurfacing once again.
When asked, an Audi spokesman reveals to GPblog that the F1 project will "simply" continue as planned, despite the many rumours thrown in the direction of the parent company. Audi have not commented further, but given the huge investments already made in the takeover of Sauber and the development of its own power unit - the billion euro mark is in sight - it would be a waste of money to pull the plug now. Besides, VW are really not going to keep the factories in question open after all, should the F1 project end anyway.
New shareholder includes Qatari investor
Incidentally, it looks like Audi will announce within weeks that an investor from Qatar has bought into the F1 team. In particular, the Qatari's millions will reportedly be used to refurbish the outdated facilities in Hinwil. Audi F1 will operate from at least two places; both from their own factory in Ingolstadt, and also in Hinwil, Switzerland, where Sauber are based.
It is still unclear what percentage of shares the Qatari investors will hold. The deal is expected to be announced ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, which takes place in just under two weeks' time.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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