Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has staked a stake in Audi’s future F1 team | Sports News
The Qatar Investment Authority has announced that it will be a ‘long-term investor and partner’ of the Audi F1 team from 2026.
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is acquiring a “majority minority stake” in what will be Audi’s Formula 1 team from 2026, in a deal announced on Friday ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.
The joint statement said the Qatar Investment Authority will be a “long-term investor and partner” and provide a “major capital injection” that will help the group expand its infrastructure.
The team currently competes as Sauber and will be rebranded as an Audi works outfit for 2026 after it reached a full takeover deal earlier this year.
“This additional investment will accelerate the group’s growth and is another important step in our long-term plans,” Audi CEO Gernot Dollner said in a joint statement.
Qatar Investment Authority has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Sauber, ahead of the team becoming a factory Audi team in 2026 📝#F1 #QatarGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 29, 2024
Qatar is already an investor in the Volkswagen Group, of which Audi is a part. “QIA believes that Formula 1 is a sport with huge untapped investment potential,” said QIA chief executive Mohammed Saif al-Sowaidi.
“The growing commercialization of professional sports as a global entertainment offering, together with the growing global popularity of Formula 1, has opened up an exciting opportunity for our first major investment in motorsport.”
Sauber is changing both of its drivers for 2025, as Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto arrive to replace Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
