Valtteri Bottas discusses changes at Alfa Romeo due to ‘concrete base’ of Audi’s future involvement

Alfa Romeo-Sauber will become Audi in 2026. Preparations are well underway, and as Valtteri Bottas describes it, there are also changes in mood & mentality.

Valtteri Bottas discusses changes at Alfa Romeo due to ‘concrete base’ of Audi’s future involvement

Valtteri Bottas

Ahead of Sauber (currently known as Alfa Romeo) becoming their works team in 2026, Audi have already acquired a minority stake in the Swiss operation. In preparing for the German manufacturers’ ‘takeover’, there will be many changes at Sauber. Audi aim to win races by 2028 – so Sauber will have to step it up in the meantime. They will need to increase their workforce, and their production capacity, among other things.

There have also been some management changes. Andreas Seidl has arrived as the new Chief Executive, and Alessandro Alunni Bravi becoming ‘Team Representative’. This has also eliminated the role of ‘team principal’. The duties will instead be split among Bravi, Xevi Pujolar (head of track engineering), and Bernt Zehnder (the sporting director). But there’s also a change in mentality and identity during this time of transition.

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On the mood at the team, knowing that Audi will be with them in 2026, Valtteri Bottas said: “I think first of all for everybody in the team and at the factory what is really positive is that everything seems really stable. There’s almost like a concrete base for the team, that everything for the future, whatever happens with names and stuff, is looking good.” but added it’s best to focus on this year, as this is their final season with Alfa Romeo.

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He added: “Then we [will] see with the rest after this year, whether it’s going to be Sauber, that’s not going to actually change anything in the structure of the team, it just changes the name. That’s it. Knowing the support from Audi will be coming is only a positive. So we don’t really have to worry about those names, or anything like that. So I think everyone is in a good situation.”

Read More: Valtteri Bottas ‘cannot wait’ to drive ‘stunning’ Alfa Romeo C43

Zhou Guanyu’s observations of the team are similar to those of Valtteri Bottas

Zhou Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu

Like Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, who is currently in his second season with Sauber-Alfa Romeo, also feels that the team is in a better place now, because their future is ‘settled’. So that makes him happy. The increased stability at the team also makes the team want to do as well as they possibly can, especially with car performance.

Zhou said: “Also I’ve been speaking with the people around us, and everybody is very motivated, because the last few years have been quite tough, people leaving or joining, new faces, new members. But now you really can see what is the future for this team. So it makes us, the drivers and engineers, want to do as well as we could to be getting the car better throughout every year.”

Alfa Romeo finished P6 in the Constructors’ last season, which was a considerable step up from their performance in the years preceding it. But this is not enough – they will need to step it up further. Competing with teams like McLaren and Alpine consistently will be the first thing on their agenda, but then they’ll have to go further. Audi are entering Formula 1 to win races, of course – being in the midfield would not do.

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