Audi confirms plans for new F1 base

The Audi Formula 1 team has revealed plans for its long-term development, including a new 'campus' near the existing factory in Hinwil, Switzerland.

"Elements of the new Campus on Zurichstrasse became operational in summer 2026, with the full development scheduled for completion in 2030," said the team in a statement.

Peter Sauber founded his eponymous team, using Hinwil as a base, in 1970. Sauber ran Mercedes' sportscar racing programme during the 1980s before moving to F1 in 1993. BMW bought the team in 2005 before selling it back to Sauber in 2009.

Audi subsequently acquired into the operation in stages, taking full control in January 2025. The Hinwil facility has required substantial investment, since the team had operated on the F1 equivalent of a shoestring budget since BMW pulled out. Both the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) cluster and the wind tunnel required substantial modernisation.

Famously, the wind tunnel was paid for by monies received from Mercedes to release Kimi Raikkonen from his Sauber contract to move to McLaren in 2002. The site on Wildbachstrasse will be redeveloped but the wind tunnel will be retained.

Audi's engine development facility will remain in Neuberg and it will continue to maintain offices in Bicester. The team established its UK satellite facility as a means of recruiting experienced personnel who were unwilling or unable to move to Switzerland.

Mattia Binotto, Audi F1 CEO and team principal

Photo by: Alex Pantling - Formula 1

"The campus will play an important role in helping us attract and retain world-class talent while providing the foundations required to achieve our long-term ambitions," said Audi CEO and team principal Mattia Binotto.

"Building a successful Formula 1 team is ultimately about people. The best engineers, designers, mechanics and specialists want to work in an environment that allows them to collaborate, innovate and perform at their highest level. The campus will help us create exactly that environment."

"What makes this project particularly special is that it allows us to shape the future of Audi Revolut F1 Team from the ground up. Opportunities like this are rare in modern Formula 1.

"We are not simply moving into an existing facility; we are creating a home designed around our people, our culture and our ambitions. This campus is an important part of that journey.

"We are proud that the next chapter of Audi Revolut F1 Team will be written in Hinwil and I would like place on record my thanks to the Municipality of Hinwil itself."