Sauber opening a technical centre for Audi’s coming Method 1 entry seems to unravel one massive headache for the nascent undertaking, whereas additionally drawing new parallels with rival squad, Haas.
The information that Sauber is now trying to find premises on which to open its ‘Sauber Motorsport Expertise Centre UK’ means it’s primarily hoping to draw F1 workers based mostly in the UK, whereas additionally concurrently releasing up sources to spend on automotive growth.
It’s because the crew’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 dwelling to the opposite F1 squads meant Sauber has struggled in the case of bringing in new workers, because it seeks to rework from a perennial midfield squad to crack works operation together with its Audi rebrand from subsequent yr.
To ease this difficulty, 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 would possibly 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 Improvement (OECD) present common wages in 2022 in Switzerland had been round $80,000, versus $54,000 within the UK.
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
Mattia Binotto at Abu Dhabi GP 2024
That is the place seven of the ten F1 squads are based mostly, with hundreds of skilled and highly-trained folks residing in ‘Motorsport Valley’ – the realm 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 usually decry ‘British bias’ within the championship usually because 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 desires 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 consultants and appeal to native engineering expertise for the Audi F1 Mission.”
The transfer is critical 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, nevertheless it additionally signifies the lengths the organisation is keen to go to draw extra engineering expertise.
It has already secured a brand new crew 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 during the last decade – earlier than the previous slipped down the pecking order in 2024 whereas the latter gained massively.
Whereas RB is one other crew in an analogous place of getting its services cut up throughout international locations given the current 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 hitch Haas in having workers based mostly throughout three international locations.
Photograph by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Photographs
Nico Hulkenberg at Abu Dhabi GP 2024
With Haas having its company headquarters in Kannapolis (the USA dwelling of dad or mum firm Haas Automation), its major F1 facility in Banbury within the UK and its design workplace in Italy (Maranello on the Ferrari manufacturing facility), Sauber/Audi already has its F1 engine growth being performed in Neuburg, Germany, in addition to staffing the Swiss Hinwil manufacturing facility 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 staff.
As a part of its plan to get well 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 crew motorhome that’s designed to seize the eye of rival squad workers within the paddock every race. Haas can also be at the moment evaluating plans on whether or not to redevelop its cramped Banbury web site and even transfer to a brand new location altogether.
Such adjustments had been desired by former Haas boss Guenther Steiner, however getting the sign-off on such growth was achieved by his successor, Ayao Komatsu. And but, he admitted just lately that the crew’s staffing stage stays solely round “330 folks” even with the recruitment part being properly over six months previous.
“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 usually the case in F1, notion is important to reaching objectives.
The brand new Haas motorhome and potential manufacturing facility adjustments will probably ease its want to have a bigger F1 workers total, because it tries to develop from its considerably decrease headcount in comparison with different groups.
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs
Valtteri Bottas at Las Vegas GP 2024
However Haas is considerably trapped by how a lot of its (decrease) price cap money goes to funding the components 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 sources from its new facility creation.
It’s also the second piece of excellent information that the troubled crew has had since its large administration shake-up final summer time, the place ex-Ferrari crew boss Mattia Binotto was put in as total undertaking chief.
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 earnings hit and jobs axed.
Subsequently, Tuesday’s information is an extra signal that the F1 crew is getting parts 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 ground improve late within the 2024 season.
