Michael Andretti will be reading today’s news with a wry smile on his face. He and his proposed F1 team have been listening to propaganda from the paddock claiming that the current line up of competitors are in rude health.

Guenther Steiner claimed at last season’s pre-season testing: “Five years ago, you could get teams for nothing, you could pick it up. Nobody wanted them and they went out of business.

“Now, all of a sudden, everybody wants a team. But it’s a lot of people that want to come in and the 10 teams which are here are all financially stable, all well set up. It’s a very good environment at the moment, no one is struggling.”

 

 

 

Questions to answer at Sauber/Audi

Since then ex-Alpine boss Otmar Szafnaeur revealed the French backed team was ten of millions short of the cost cap limit which is hardly a sign of not “struggling.”

Now we learn that another team was forced to retain a pay driver for this year given the massive hole in their budget to the tune of $1bn according to Ralf Schumacher. 

Audi F1 have just announced a big internal restructure recruiting Mattia Binotto to head up the F1 project. Andreas Seidl has been sacked along with Oliver Hoffman who had been parachuted in by the German brand’s main board as concerns continued to grow that the new Audi F1 team will not be ready for 2026.

In a move to quell their doubters, Audi completed the 100% acquisition of Sauber earlier this season, yet the troubled project has failed to publicly make process. Technical director for the team James Key revealed earlier this year that the integration between Sauber and Audi is behind the deadline.

McLaren insults Norris

 

 

 

Integration not until “2027”

“Ultimately, we’re probably not going to be the final [Audi] product that we’re aiming for until about ’27 time really, because there is a lot to do,” he said in January.

The vagaries in Key’s statement are hardly the dream of a marketing expert, does he mean Audi will be competitive in ’27 or by the end of that season?

On track Sauber are having a nightmare this year too. They are the only team to have scored no points in 2024 although their form in qualifying for the recent Hungarian Grand Prix was more promising, with Valtteri Bottas missing out on Q3 by just 2/10ths of a second.

Zhou Guangyu has struggled against his team mate but the Chinese driver is now in his third season in Formula One. Zhou signed for Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season becoming China’s first ever F1 driver. A press release following the announcement stated he was “well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1” and that his entry into the series would be “a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history”.

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Zhou brings $30m

He chose 24 as his permanent racing number to honour his sporting hero Kobe Bryant, who wore the number during his basketball career with the LA Lakers. On debut Zhou looked promising, qualifying fifteenth at the Bahrain Grand Prix but recovering from a poor start he scored his maiden point in the race finishing P10.

Yet Zhou has not lived up to his promise, but the Chinese driver does bring a huge amount of cash which Ralf Schumacher claims bought him this extra season in F1, the reason being Audi made a “small miscalculation” resulting in a massive financial black hole.

For this reason the team was forced to retain Zhou for this year given the project was on the brink of collapse. Reports from Germany last moth suggested the kind of money behind the Chinese driver is in excess of $30m as Zhou and his backers had offered Haas F1 that figure for a drive in 2025.

Schumacher now tells Sky Germany: “The project was actually on the brink of collapse at Audi because there was apparently a small miscalculation, amounting to around €1billion. At least that’s the rumour.

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Zhou retained to save Sauber

“This called into question what was happening. The team had to be refinanced because no money had flowed in. Hence the decision to keep Zhou Guanyu as a driver and take the money.”

The brother of Michael Schumacher goes on to reveal everything at Sauber had ground to a half, no money to recruit the new people required and no cash for much needed investment in the facilities which have been run on shoestring for a number of years.

Yet Ralf exonerates the outgoing Andrea Seidl stating: “A lot has to change in the paddock at Sauber but Seidl was fighting with blunt weapons at the time.” Now the ex-Ferrari boss faces a mountain to climb with less than 18 months before the Audi name appears on the side of the car.

“At least Audi has managed to bring in an experienced man in Mattia Binotto – which is important. You just have to be aware that constant personnel changes at management level are not a good thing in Formula 1. It’s not a corporation, but a Formula 1 team,” Schumacher continues.

Red Bull simulation reveals SHOCK for Max in Spa

 

 

 

Infighting amongst Audi F1 project leaders

“It’s difficult for me to understand. The decision to bring in Andreas Seidl was made under different circumstances. He was a CEO and, as is often the case, you bring in the people you know. You want to create your own environment.

“There were probably also tensions. Oliver Hoffmann, who now also has to go, tried to drive Andreas Seidl out internally. I could imagine that this fight also led to the decision being made. I also don’t think it was known. It’s also very surprising for Andreas Seidl, I’m sure of that.”

Some writers have suggested the arrival of Binotto will strengthen Audi’s chance of recruiting Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard joined Ferrari under Binotto replacing four times world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Bottas now admits he’s “nervous” over F1 future

 

 

 

Sainz deal now closer

Schumacher goes further adding, “[Binotto] is a staunch fan and also a friend of Carlos Sainz. That could also have been political in the background. that they say: ‘Well, we would like to have this person and this person to support us.’

“The two know each other from Ferrari and really enjoyed working together. That’s probably where the wind is blowing from.”

Sauber/Audi have signed Nico Hulkenberg on a multi-season deal so lets hope he saw the revised business plan with the $1bn hole plugged by the German Auto manufacturer. 

Verstappen calls for “respect” from engineer

 

 

 

New Agreement: Verstappen banned

Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula One World Champion, found himself at the centre of a heated debate during the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. Allegations surfaced that his less than cheerful demeanour was due to his involvement in late-night sim racing events.

Initially dismissed by Red Bull sporting director Helmut Marko, the allegation has since taken a new turn, sparking discussions within the team about Verstappen’s pre-race activities. Verstappen’s recent decision to avoid late-night sim races ahead of a Grand Prix provides compelling evidence to support these internal discussions… READ MORE