483-race F1 team could now receive £830m investment package in partial takeover next week

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Formula 1 is becoming increasingly lucrative for all 10 manufacturers in the sport, but also considerably more expensive.

The F1 calendar contains 24 races and six Sprint Races a year, and given the demands of several triple-headers across the season, an increase in staffing levels has required additional investment.

Not only that, but crash damage can now cause millions of pounds worth of damage as Williams discovered in Brazil.

Therefore, investment behind the scenes is crucial to the successful running of any Formula 1 team.

This is especially true given the nature of the cost cap introduced by F1 to avoid some teams being able to far outspend their rivals in the quest for glory.

A report from German outlet Motorsport-Total suggests one of the 10 outfits in the paddock could be about to receive a serious injection of cash.

Sauber have yet to score a point this season, and after 483 race starts from the team since their debut in 1993, their time on the grid is about to come to an end.

They will surpass the 500-race mark next year before becoming the Audi works team in 2026.

However, the German manufacturing giant isn’t in the strongest position financially, so Qatari investors would increase their influence on the project very soon.

Qatari fund could inject £830m investment into Audi F1 project next week

The report from Motorsport-Total suggests that a deal between Sauber, Audi and Qatar’s investment fund could be completed as soon as next week.

Audi have agreed to take over 100% of Sauber for a fee of around £540m, partially because they recognise how much time and support Sauber need to lift themselves off the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.

This has been seen as a good deal, but Audi’s owner Volkswagen aren’t in the strongest position financially, meaning investment into an F1 project that hasn’t even started yet would be very welcome.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

Industry insiders and those within Audi believe it’s currently ‘very difficult’ to finance a large-scale project like F1.

They believe the money needed to make Audi competitive is needed elsewhere in the company at this stage.

The report believes that the Qatari group are willing to invest up to £830m in the F1 fund to help the Swiss team avoid finishing last again once they’re running under the Audi brand.

Sauber have already confirmed Audi’s first F1 driver line-up

With three races to go in 2024, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu know they face a very uphill task to end Sauber’s ongoing pointless streak.

Both drivers discovered that they would not be retained for 2025, with Audi’s new head of F1 Mattia Binotto going down a different path with his line-up for next season.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Sauber and Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto

When Binotto took the job, he inherited the signing of Nico Hulkenberg from the previous regime.

The German driver will lead the German team in 2026 and has been in superb form for Haas this year.

After months of negotiations, Sauber have also taken a gamble on current F2 championship leader and McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto to join him.

Bortoleto and Binotto have been in conversation for months, and the Brazilian is extremely excited about the project.

The Audi team he eventually joins might have a fresh source of income by the time he steps foot in the team at the end of the year.