Will this new UK technology centre propel Sauber up the F1 grid?
Set to become Audi F1 next year, the new base is in a prime spot to pinch talent from other teams…
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Sauber – which will morph into Audi's new F1 team next season – has revealed plans to build a shiny new technology centre at Bicester Motion.
'Race team announces building' is hardly earth-shattering news, but this is an interesting one because it shows Sauber/Audi (let's call it Saubi) has a plan to not be permanently marooned to the back of the grid.
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Saubi has typically struggled to attract engineering talent because its HQ is in Hinwil, Switzerland, and almost all of the top F1 teams are based in or have facilities in the UK.
Swiss wages are also much higher than those in the UK, meaning the team's budget doesn't stretch as far. In fact, last year Audi was granted an increased budget cap for 2026 in order to level the playing field. And no, the other nine teams weren't happy about it.
The 444-acre site in Bicester will support Hinwil rather than replace it, but it's a short drive away from Mercedes at Brackley, Red Bull in Milton Keynes, Alpine in Chipping Norton, Williams at Grove and Aston Martin at Silverstone… ideal for poaching rival aero wizards who don't fancy commuting via Zurich Airport.
'The opening of the Sauber Motorsport Technology Centre at Bicester Motion is a significant milestone as we prepare for Audi's arrival in Formula 1,' said Mattia Binotto, head of the Audi F1 project. 'This facility will allow us to tap into the talent pool in Motorsport Valley and further strengthen our technical capabilities while being part of a thriving cluster at Bicester Motion where you live and breathe motorsport.
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'The support it will play to Hinwil will be important to our long-term success."
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