Sauber is about to ascertain a United Kingdom base because it prepares to morph into the Audi Components 1 manufacturing facility group in 2026.
The group’s headquarters will stay within the Swiss municipality of Hinwil, whereas operating its energy unit operation in Neuburg, Germany.
However it can now open a 3rd location within the UK’s ‘motorsport valley’, which covers England’s South East and Midlands areas the place seven F1 groups are at present primarily based.
Sauber’s transfer is to capitalise on attracting the perfect expertise obtainable by interesting to employees already employed at groups across the Silverstone space.
The Swiss outfit, which completed backside of the 2024 F1 constructors’ standings, hopes that the brand new engineering hub shall be opened this summer time, permitting newly recruited employees to stay within the UK moderately than relocating abroad.
This initiative is a key element of the Audi venture’s long-term technique to develop its technical group. Sauber says it’s potential websites together with Bicester, Silverstone and Milton Keynes forward of Audi’s full takeover for the 2026 marketing campaign.
Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport, acknowledged: “We’re excited to ascertain our technical centre within the UK to enrich our key website in Hinwil, which can proceed to guide our most important engineering operations and expertise the most important group progress.
Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Group KICK Sauber
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
“Increasing into the UK permits us to stay near one of many world’s most dynamic motorsport ecosystems. Our imaginative and prescient is to create a robust, collaborative community throughout Hinwil and the UK, driving innovation and efficiency.”
The UK engineering hub is not going to type a part of the proposed FIA ‘value cap offset’ for 2026, which is about for Sauber to learn from a better value cap attributable to Switzerland’s excessive value of residing.
Sauber has lengthy argued its employees prices are larger because of this, in comparison with its rival groups within the UK and Italy (the place Ferrari and Racing Bulls are primarily based).
“It’s our duty to be honest,” FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis stated on the 2024 United States Grand Prix.
“It turned apparent to us that salaries in sure international locations are a lot, a lot larger and price of life is far larger in sure international locations.
“I see it myself, I reside in Geneva. Every time I’m going to the grocery store I give it some thought. And we felt {that a} group primarily based in a high-labour-cost nation like Switzerland would find yourself having roughly 30 % and even 40 % fewer individuals engaged on the automobile, which we felt was basically unfair.
“We have determined that this might both result in us attempting to take some protections from a regulatory level, or it will finally imply that groups couldn’t function and a group like Sauber must principally shut and transfer to a different nation, which we do not suppose is the precise approach for a world championship to function.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Ben Hunt
Components 1
Sauber
Be the primary to know and subscribe for real-time information electronic mail updates on these subjects
Subscribe to information alerts
