Sauber opening a technical centre for Audi’s coming Formula 1 entry appears to solve one big headache for the nascent project, while also drawing new parallels with rival squad, Haas.
The news that Sauber is now searching for premises on which to open its ‘Sauber Motorsport Technology Centre UK’ means it is primarily hoping to attract F1 staff based in the United Kingdom, while also concurrently freeing up resources to spend on car development.
This is because the team’s long-serving Hinwil base has proved to be problematic as Sauber expanded ahead of Audi’s arrival.
The much higher costs of living in Switzerland compared to the other countries home to the other F1 squads meant Sauber has struggled when it comes to bringing in new staff, as it seeks to transform from a perennial midfield squad to crack works operation along with its Audi rebrand from next year.
To ease this issue, the FIA has even granted a salary cap offset within the 2026 F1 cost cap to accommodate the situation.
The governing body felt Sauber/Audi might even end up with staffing levels 30-40% down on other large-scale teams due to salary level discrepancies.
Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) show average wages in 2022 in Switzerland were around $80,000, versus $54,000 in the UK.
Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
This is where seven of the 10 F1 squads are based, with thousands of experienced and highly-trained people living in ‘Motorsport Valley’ – the area estimated to be within an 80-minute drive of the Silverstone circuit where all the UK-based F1 teams are located.
And while some are inclined to regularly decry ‘British bias’ in the championship often as a result of the high numbers of paddock personnel coming from or living in the UK, Sauber outright indicated in its press release communicated on Tuesday that this factor cannot be ignored if it wants to achieve its desired expansion and improvements.
“By creating this new facility,” the statement reads, “Sauber Motorsport aims to strengthen its presence in ‘Motorsport Valley’ and establish a platform to collaborate with top experts and attract local engineering talent for the Audi F1 Project.”
The move is significant because it not only provides Sauber/Audi with more resource room if more of its staff do not need the higher Swiss wage levels, but it also signifies the lengths the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Motorsport.com – Formula 1 – Stories…