When people in the paddock believe Audi will do ‘very well’ in Formula 1 ahead of Sauber takeover

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Audi’s introduction to the Formula 1 grid can’t come soon enough to end Sauber’s difficult recent spell.

Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have had to endure driving the slowest car on the grid throughout 2024.

In the previous campaign, even a very difficult-to-drive Haas managed to get on the scoreboard despite finishing bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.

It looks virtually impossible for Alessandro Alunni Bravi’s team to secure a top-ten finish this season with six races to go.

Bottas and Zhou would consider reaching Q2 in qualifying a success at this point and the cars are now far too reliable to snipe a point by relying on others failing to finish a race.

All of this is not what Audi or their new head of Formula 1 Mattia Binotto will want to see.

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

Audi have a prestigious racing pedigree across the world of motorsport and will be hoping their entry in F1 is equally successful.

However, speaking on her YouTube channel, Julianne Cerasoli has shared more details about how the F1 paddock feel about Audi’s entry.

Audi will enter the sport in 2026 when the sport’s regulations change and theoretically that should level the playing field.

Unfortunately, Sauber’s struggles mean Audi are starting from a lower platform than many of their rivals and will still have a lot to learn.

However, it’s not expected to be too long until they’re competing against the very best in F1.

People in the paddock expect Audi to do ‘very well’ in Formula 1 in 2028

Talking about Sauber’s upcoming switch to Audi, Cerasoli said: “It will take time to get going when it becomes Audi, right in 2026?

“I was talking in the paddock with people who are more aware of what’s happening technically.

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

“They told me they’re going to be doing very well in 2028. So, they’re thinking too far ahead, and Bortoleto’s management thinks that it is more important for him to maintain the relationship with McLaren than to venture into this team.

“From Audi’s point of view, it doesn’t make much sense for them to hire a young driver who has this talent and who can be called up for a seat at any time at McLaren before the end of his contract.”

Audi’s power unit could be a problem upon their Formula 1 entry

One of the biggest talking points going into the new ruleset in 2026 is the new power units.

Each power unit manufacturer has to develop an engine with an increased emphasis on hybrid components.

Red Bull are building their own engines for the first in collaboration with Ford and will be competing with Mercedes, Honda, Ferrari, and potentially Renault if they don’t abandon the project, alongside Audi.

Audi are said to have developed a very fast engine for 2026; however, it’s way too early to know for sure if that’s the case.

If it is true, there are still many other components that need to be perfected before suddenly considering Audi as a potential title challenger.

There are concerns in the F1 paddock about Audi’s competitiveness, which is easy to understand given Sauber’s current standing.

They’ve still yet to nail down their driver pairing for next year, although Nico Hulkenberg looks set to be joined by Valtteri Bottas for 2025.