How Sauber’s UK hub might solve Audi’s F1 growth troubles

Sauber opening a technical centre for Audi’s coming Formulation 1 entry seems to resolve one large headache for the nascent undertaking, whereas additionally 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’s primarily hoping to draw F1 workers primarily based in the UK, whereas additionally concurrently liberating up sources to spend on automobile improvement.

It’s because the crew’s long-serving Hinwil base has proved to be problematic as Sauber expanded forward of Audi’s arrival.

The a lot larger prices of dwelling in Switzerland in comparison with the opposite international locations residence to the opposite F1 squads meant Sauber has struggled in relation to bringing in new workers, because it seeks to rework from a perennial midfield squad to crack works operation together with its Audi rebrand from subsequent 12 months.

To ease this situation, the FIA has even granted a wage cap offset throughout the 2026 F1 value cap to accommodate the scenario.

The governing physique felt Sauber/Audi would possibly even find yourself with staffing ranges 30-40% down on different large-scale groups resulting from wage degree discrepancies.

Figures from the Organisation for Financial Co-Operation and Improvement (OECD) present common wages in 2022 in Switzerland have been round $80,000, versus $54,000 within the UK.

That is the place seven of the ten F1 squads are primarily based, with hundreds of skilled and highly-trained individuals dwelling in ‘Motorsport Valley’ – the realm estimated to be inside an 80-minute drive of the Silverstone circuit the place all of the UK-based F1 groups are situated.

And whereas some are inclined to commonly decry ‘British bias’ within the championship typically because of the excessive numbers of paddock personnel coming from or dwelling within the UK, Sauber outright indicated in its press launch communicated on Tuesday that this issue can’t be ignored if it desires to realize its desired enlargement and enhancements.

“By creating this new facility,” the assertion reads, “Sauber Motorsport goals to strengthen its presence in ‘Motorsport Valley’ and set up a platform to collaborate with prime consultants and entice native engineering expertise for the Audi F1 Challenge.”

The transfer is critical as a result of it not solely supplies Sauber/Audi with extra useful resource room if extra of its workers don’t want the upper Swiss wage ranges, however it additionally signifies the lengths the organisation is prepared to go to draw further engineering expertise.

It has already secured a brand new crew principal in former Crimson Bull sporting supervisor Jonathan Wheatley, however given prime earners at F1 squads are exempt from the associated fee cap that is all about increasing additional down the chain to learn the entire.

Right here reveals the 2 new parallels between Sauber/Audi and Haas, which have been on-again, off-again midfield rivals during the last decade – earlier than the previous slipped down the pecking order in 2024 whereas the latter gained massively.

Whereas RB is one other crew in the same place of getting its services cut up throughout international locations given the current Crimson Bull push to bind the Faenza-based squad nearer with the remainder of its f1 operations within the UK, Sauber/Audi is now seemingly set to affix Haas in having workers primarily based throughout three international locations.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

Photograph by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Pictures

With Haas having its company headquarters in Kannapolis (the USA residence of mother or father firm Haas Automation), its predominant F1 facility in Banbury within the UK and its design workplace in Italy (Maranello on the Ferrari manufacturing unit), Sauber/Audi already has its F1 engine improvement being carried out in Neuburg, Germany, in addition to staffing the Swiss Hinwil manufacturing unit and now the brand new UK workplace.

However this in itself supplies a parallel with Haas and the lengths groups should go to in attracting workers.

As a part of its plan to get well from its newest constructors’ place nadir in 2023, Haas enacted its first F1 recruitment drive final summer season, in addition to investing in a brand new crew motorhome that’s designed to seize the eye of rival squad workers within the paddock every race. Haas can also be presently evaluating plans on whether or not to redevelop its cramped Banbury web site and even transfer to a brand new location altogether.

Such adjustments have been desired by former Haas boss Guenther Steiner, however getting the sign-off on such improvement was achieved by his successor, Ayao Komatsu. And but, he admitted not too long ago that the crew’s staffing degree stays solely round “330 individuals” even with the recruitment section being effectively over six months outdated.

“That is nowhere when it comes to what we [could be],” Komatsu added in a media briefing attended by Motorsport.com.

However, as is so typically the case in F1, notion is crucial to attaining targets.

The brand new Haas motorhome and potential manufacturing unit adjustments will probably ease its need to have a bigger F1 workers general, because it tries to broaden from its considerably decrease headcount in comparison with different groups.

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Workforce KICK Sauber C44, kicks up sparks

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures

However Haas is considerably trapped by how a lot of its (decrease) value cap money goes to funding the elements it buys from Ferrari and the designs it will get Dallara to fabricate.

Whereas, as a result of it designs and builds a lot extra of its F1 automobile, Sauber/Audi would be capable to extra readily exploit the extra sources from its new facility creation.

Additionally it is the second piece of fine information that the troubled crew has had since its large administration shake-up final summer season, the place ex-Ferrari crew boss Mattia Binotto was put in as general undertaking chief.

The primary was the Qatari Funding Authority taking a 30% stake for a reported $350 million at a time when Audi’s mother or father firm Volkswagen had income hit and jobs axed.

Subsequently, Tuesday’s information is an additional signal that the F1 crew is getting parts to make itself stronger amid such a tough place, with an additional increase coming from the efficiency features Sauber/Audi made to the C44 with its large flooring improve late within the 2024 season.