Sauber Director breaks silence on the ‘fresh approach’ of the team after breaking 5 year old relationship with Alfa Romeo
Sauber Director Alessandro Alunni Bravi has teased how their car reveal for 2024 will break away from traditions for the first time.
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At the start of the 2023 season, F1 saw the Team Principals shift in what was termed as the ‘F1 Team Principal silly season’. During that time, Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur moved from the Swiss outfit to take the helm at Ferrari at the absence of Mattia Binotto. And then, it was announced that Alfa Romeo, being operated under Sauber, would have Alessandro Alunni Bravi as their ‘Director’. Hence, the team did away with the post of the ‘Team Principal’ completely.
At the end of 2023, Alfa Romeo severed their sponsorship ties to Sauber and thus, the team is expected to see quite a lot of changes. But the changes might have started already as Sauber Director Alessandro Alunni Bravi claims that their car reveal for the 2024 season will see them break with traditions. The ceremony will be held in the United Kingdom even though the team is based in Switzerland. Previously, they have presented their car in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland but never in the UK.
Without Alfa Romeo in the picture, the Sauber F1 team will get a new name that Alessandro Alunni Bravi said will be revealed in due course of time.
On December 10, as soon as the FIA publishes the entry list, we will, of course, announce the new team name. I think it will be a surprise, and we look forward to starting the collaboration with our new partners.Alessandro Alunni Bravi said, as reported by Motorsport.com.
Audi is set to take up the sponsorship duties of Sauber from 2026
In what will be seen as a huge step for Audi, the German manufacturers will be entering F1 as a power unites supplier from 2026. They will see the Swiss outfit of Sauber become their works team. Earlier in 2023 it was also said that Sauber will be Audi’s ‘strategic partner’ for their Formula 1 programme and the German manufacturers will acquire a small stake in Sauber too.
But ever since discussing their entry into Formula 1 holding hands with Sauber, Audi have stayed silent about further processes they must currently be undergoing. This even led to speculations that Audi is behind on its development of a power unit for the Sauber F1 car that is supposed to debut in 2026. But Alessandro Alunni Bravi has insisted Audi are set to start their F1 operations in the next two years.
Audi has a strong commitment to Formula 1 and, of course together with Sauber, this commitment comes from a decision not only of the board of Audi but also the advisory board of Audi and the Supervisory Board of Audi/Volkswagen.
Thus, it remains to be seen how Audi’s power unit, that nothing is known about, will come into play in 2026. But Alessandro Alunni Bravi has commented that Audi have a commitment to Sauber that they will honor, and hence it seems the German manufacturers’ entry into F1 is solidified.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)