Audi’s new 2026 Red Bull recruits still concerned by ‘Sauber mentality’ running through the team

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Audi are making huge steps towards being competitive in their debut Formula 1 season in 2026, but their new signings are still worried that they have not moved on from the past.

The German manufacturer have taken over from Sauber in 2026 and have come to F1 as a new engine supplier. The project is in its early stages, but Audi have huge aspirations ahead of the new season.

With Jonathan Wheatley and Mattia Binotto at the helm and Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto as drivers, they have what they need to be a strong outfit. However, there is a problem with the team’s mentality, which staff are still noticing.

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Sauber struggled towards the back of the grid in the final few seasons in F1. They made some improvements in 2025, with Hulkenberg grabbing a podium at Silverstone, but they were still lagging at the back.

David Coulthard brutally put down Sauber and their time in F1, blasting their ‘mediocrity’ after winning just one race in their history. Audi might be a different identity, but they have inherited an outfit that has consistently been uncompetitive.

Audi’s new Red Bull recruits still think the team have Sauber’s mentality

Pre-season testing did bring some issues for Audi, but they were quickly resolved as they racked up decent mileage in the R26. It was all about getting everything and everyone up to scratch with the operation, including their new recruits.

Audi have brought in several people from Red Bull and Mercedes to bolster them in 2026, but as journalist Julianne Cerasoli notes, they still see ‘the Sauber mentality’ within the team.

“The first test in Barcelona didn’t go very well, there were problems every day, but it wasn’t always the same problem,” she said via Formula Latina.

“Then in Bahrain they solved those, but others appeared to be OK, but nothing that’s going to be very bad for the whole season.

“Gabi was happy about that, that for every problem we encountered, we also found a solution, so everything’s fine on that front.

“But I was saying, there are some people who have come from Red Bull, from Mercedes, they have said that you can see the Sauber mentality. Still, there’s no winning mentality, right? So it takes time to build all this.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about the Audi F1 team from Sauber past to drivers

Will Sauber’s failures hamper Audi in 2026?

This mentality is something that Audi cannot afford to have lingering around the team, especially as they have plans to win the championship by the start of the new decade.

But the ghosts of Sauber’s past and underperformance could be something that holds them back. Wheatley has admitted that Audi are at a ‘significant disadvantage’ in 2026 due to the Hinwil outfit’s lack of investment in recent years.

They have to get rid of this losing mentality, or they cannot expect to fight towards the front of the grid anytime soon.

Given the investment they have already put in and their success in other categories, Audi will not want to sit around at the back for long.