Kick Sauber's Transition into Audi in 2026
While the more influential teams, such as Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull, battle for championships, one has to wonder what is happening with the other teams. For example, there is much to unpack with the incoming of Cadillac, but what is even less known about is the massive update on Kick Sauber. Starting in 2026, the Kick Sauber team will transform into Audi. Under the direction of a new Team Principal, there is great hope that the transition will be smooth for them.
What may have been missed on your Formula 1 updates was that back in April, the role of Team Principal was given to Jonathan Wheatley. Since then, Wheatley has not only helped with the team's points, but he has also assisted veteran driver, Nico Hulkenberg, in achieving his first pole position of his career. In the few months with the team, he has helped Hulkenberg go from P19 to P3 at Silverstone and helped a rookie, Gabriel Bortoleto, with his debut in Formula 1. Now, months later, and halfway through the 2025 season, Wheatley is preparing to lead the team and squad into a huge transition. For the 2026 season, Kick Sauber will be no more, and with this switch to becoming Audi, it brings new responsibilities.
According to Wheatley, a challenge he will have to take his time with is listening to what his team has to say. There will be new decisions made, ideas in the pile, and guidelines to follow. The procedure from one team becoming another is much more complicated than just a swap in logo and outfits, but it is taking an automobile and flipping it inside out. With his new ideas and philosophy, Wheatley will also bring in cultural philosophy, making changes to the team that will produce a new style that the Formula 1 world hasn’t seen before. As of now, there is no information on whether a new driver will be put in the seats of Hulkenberg or Bortoleto, but knowing that there is to know about Wheatley, he will not give up the rookie and the veteran. Good luck to everyone on the team, and make sure to stay tuned for more updates!
