Formula 1: Early team sale rumors could have domino effect

When it was announced that Audi would be taking over the Sauber Formula 1 team in 2026, it sparked lots of excitement from fans and the media. Though we are still over a year away from their entrance to the grid, things do not seem to be going entirely smoothly for the Neuburg-based team.

Over the last few months, the upper management of Audi’s Formula 1 project has seen a massive shakeup. Several key members left the team, which made way for new faces, including Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley.

Audi owners Volkswagen AG are seemingly going through an economic crisis, which could lead to closing down some facilities and several thousands of employees losing their jobs. However, since Audi committed to purchasing 100% of Sauber back in March, it is becoming difficult for them to justify such a purchase when the rest of the company is struggling.

Introduction of a new partner?

Rumors suggest that Audi could sell a stake in their Formula 1 division to Qatar ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix in less than three weeks. Ideally, their impact would be through a large cash influx, which could be as much as $1 billion.

It is about time Qatar expands their Formula 1 impact to a specific team. The country has been a huge sponsor of the sport through Qatar Airways for numerous years now. Additionally, they are the third largest stakeholder in Volkswagen AG and hold 10% of its supervisory board seats.

Countries from the Middle East view sports as a great business opportunity, which is why they invest billions of dollars into a variety of competitions. Qatar’s minor stake in Audi could easily provide them with the funding to succeed for years to come.

Additionally, it could potentially attract big names to the team going forward, similarly to how Saudi Arabia attracted several big-name soccer players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, among others.

If the Volkswagen AG group continues to face economic hardship, Audi’s time in Formula 1 could end up being rather short-lived. At that point, Qatar could move toward becoming the team’s majority stakeholder, which would also likely result in a team name change.

While this is only still speculation and Audi have not yet even entered Formula 1, their place in Formula 1 could be hanging by a thread in a few years if particular issues are not resolved. For the time being, Qatar’s involvement in Audi could be confirmed as soon as next week.