Sauber opening a technical centre for Audi’s coming Method 1 entry seems to resolve one massive headache for the nascent undertaking, whereas additionally drawing new parallels with rival squad, Haas.
The information that Sauber is now looking for premises on which to open its ‘Sauber Motorsport Know-how Centre UK’ means it’s primarily hoping to draw F1 workers primarily based in the UK, whereas additionally concurrently releasing up assets to spend on automotive improvement.
It’s because the group’s long-serving Hinwil base has proved to be problematic as Sauber expanded forward of Audi’s arrival.
The a lot larger prices of residing in Switzerland in comparison with the opposite international locations house to the opposite F1 squads meant Sauber has struggled with regards to bringing in new workers, because it seeks to remodel from a perennial midfield squad to crack works operation together with its Audi rebrand from subsequent yr.
To ease this problem, the FIA has even granted a wage cap offset throughout the 2026 F1 price cap to accommodate the state of affairs.
The governing physique felt Sauber/Audi may even find yourself with staffing ranges 30-40% down on different large-scale groups as a consequence of wage stage discrepancies.
Figures from the Organisation for Financial Co-Operation and Growth (OECD) present common wages in 2022 in Switzerland have been round $80,000, versus $54,000 within the UK.
Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO, Stake F1 Group KICK Sauber
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
That is the place seven of the ten F1 squads are primarily based, with 1000’s of skilled and highly-trained individuals residing in ‘Motorsport Valley’ – the world 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 on account of the excessive numbers of paddock personnel coming from or residing within the UK, Sauber outright indicated in its press launch communicated on Tuesday that this issue can’t be ignored if it needs to realize its desired growth 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 high specialists and appeal to native engineering expertise for the Audi F1 Challenge.”
The transfer is important 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, but it surely additionally signifies the lengths the organisation is keen to go to draw extra engineering expertise.
It has already secured a brand new group principal in former Purple Bull sporting supervisor Jonathan Wheatley, however given high earners at F1 squads are exempt from the price 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 over the past decade – earlier than the previous slipped down the pecking order in 2024 whereas the latter gained massively.
Whereas RB is one other group in the same place of getting its amenities cut up throughout international locations given the latest Purple 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
Picture by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Photos
With Haas having its company headquarters in Kannapolis (america house of dad or mum firm Haas Automation), its principal 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 better from its newest constructors’ place nadir in 2023, Haas enacted its first F1 recruitment drive final summer time, in addition to investing in a brand new group motorhome that’s designed to seize the eye of rival squad workers within the paddock every race. Haas can 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 just lately that the group’s staffing stage stays solely round “330 individuals” even with the recruitment part 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 reaching targets.
The brand new Haas motorhome and potential manufacturing unit adjustments will probably ease its want to have a bigger F1 workers general, because it tries to develop from its considerably decrease headcount in comparison with different groups.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Group KICK Sauber C44, kicks up sparks
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos
However Haas is considerably trapped by how a lot of its (decrease) price 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 automotive, Sauber/Audi would be capable to extra readily exploit the extra assets from its new facility creation.
It is usually the second piece of fine information that the troubled group has had since its large administration shake-up final summer time, the place ex-Ferrari group boss Mattia Binotto was put in as general undertaking chief.
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The primary was the Qatari Funding Authority taking a 30% stake for a reported $350 million at a time when Audi’s dad or mum firm Volkswagen had income hit and jobs axed.
Due to this fact, Tuesday’s information is an extra signal that the F1 group is getting components to make itself stronger amid such a tough place, with an extra enhance coming from the efficiency positive factors Sauber/Audi made to the C44 with its massive flooring improve late within the 2024 season.
On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
Method 1
Sauber
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