Qatar poised for buy-in of Audi’s F1 team

Audi is on the verge of selling a shareholding in its Formula 1 Sauber team to Qatar – with an announcement potentially coming ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.

Despite repeated denials, the first speculation about a potential deal was revealed by veteran F1 journalist Joe Saward, while Motorsport.com sources have suggested, however, that the deal could go through as early as next week. There is also said to be the possibility of an investment that is much larger than originally anticipated.

It was only back in March this year after the start of the F1 season that Audi announced it would be buying 100% of the Sauber team from former owner Finn Rausing. This was for an estimated purchase price of around €650 million.

But the situation for the German manufacturer appears to have changed in recent weeks with Volkswagen AG, which also owns the Audi brand, in the throes of an economic crisis.

In Germany, there is talk of plant closures and the loss of up to 30,000 jobs. A crisis that is also leaving its mark on the Audi brand, which is facing similar challenges on the world market.

Audi and industry insiders are saying privately that it is currently very difficult to justify the expenditure of a large-scale F1 development programme with the group, which is necessary if the company wants to be competitive in the medium-to-long-term from 2026.

Audi has so far kept a low profile on the rumours of the Emirate of Qatar entering the fray. The official line is very clear: “As a matter of principle, we do not comment on speculation.”

When asked, the company merely referred to a statement made by CEO Gernot Dollner at the Italian Grand Prix.

There, Dollner said that now is “the right time” for Audi to enter F1: “The decision was well prepared two-and-a-half years ago and re-evaluated last year. We firmly believe that F1 and Audi are a perfect match. It’s in line with our strategy, and while it’s ambitious and will take time, it’s also perfectly aligned with the way we’re reinventing ourselves on the corporate side.”

But one thing is also clear: the timing is difficult to argue within the group that Audi may be able to invest less money given the crisis surrounding Volkswagen AG.

Fresh capital from Qatar would therefore be welcome, helping to push ahead with the development of the F1 team without…