What Audi’s Formula 1 team name could change to if Qatar’s partial takeover is completed

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Sauber will enter their final season as a Formula 1 team in 2025 with a whimper based on current evidence.

Having made their debut in 1993 and gone through various iterations since then, the Swiss outfit will become the Audi works team from 2026 onwards.

After years of underfunding, Sauber have slipped from the midfield to the bottom of the pile, with neither Valtteri Bottas nor Zhou Guanyu capable of scoring a point so far this season.

It’s a bleak prospect, but one that Mattia Binotto has taken on as the head of Audi’s F1 project and Jonathan Wheatley will start in his role as team principal in the middle of next year after leaving Red Bull.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will be tasked with driving Sauber’s final Formula 1 car in 2025 before being handed the keys to Audi’s first entry into the sport.

However, the German giants may not be the sole name attached to the team’s entry in less than 18 months.

Audi are set to receive investment from Qatar as part of a partial takeover of the team.

A report from F1 Insider has now shared how the team’s name could change if the deal is officially completed.

What Audi’s Formula 1 entry could be called if a partial takeover by Qatar is completed

Team names in Formula 1 have always included sponsors and other backers and the current grid is no exception.

AlphaTauri – Red Bull’s fashion brand – has been named Visa Cash App RB for this season, a change that has likely earned the team a significant sum that can go towards F1’s cost cap.

Haas are sponsored by MoneyGram, Aston Martin’s name contains the Saudi Arabian oil company brand Aramco, while tech company Oracle are partnered with Red Bull Racing.

Even the current Sauber team name has morphed into something different this year having previously been known as Alfa Romeo.

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

Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber is the official name of the Swiss entrant, although Sauber have already been considering a name change for next year.

The report from F1 Insider suggests that ‘speculation’ suggests Qatar could now appear in the name of the Audi team when they join the grid.

Not only that but given Qatar’s involvement in the Audi group outside of F1, they could also include other Volkswagen brands to promote them further on the global stage.

Sauber finally confirm driver line-up ahead of Audi’s introduction to Formula 1

When Binotto took over at Audi, although he’s not Sauber’s team principal, he was the man responsible for selecting Hulkenberg’s teammate for next year.

Bottas would have been a safe and sensible choice, especially as Sauber’s car needs a lot of work and his experience could have played a vital part in making those improvements.

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

However, the excitement of promoting Binotto and mobilizing a passionate Brazilian fanbase makes Bortoleto a fantastic alternative.

Damon Hill has shared what he’s heard about Bortoleto being chosen over Bottas, leaving the Finn considering a reserve driver role with Mercedes next year to stay in F1.

An awful lot is going to change at Sauber over the next year or so, arguably more than at any other team on the grid.

Their identity is also going to evolve, but it’s yet to be seen exactly how they’ll be known in the future.