Sauber’s Final Chapter Before the Audi Era: From Crisis to Contender

When Sauber’s final season before officially becoming the works Audi Formula 1 team began in early 2025, the outlook could hardly have been bleaker. The car was slow, unpredictable, and a nightmare to drive. Pre-season testing in Bahrain placed the Hinwil-based squad firmly at the bottom of the timesheets, reinforcing fears of another year spent stranded at the back.

New recruit Nico Hülkenberg summed it up bluntly at the time: Sauber was “in major trouble” and the situation looked grim. For a team already scarred by a dismal 2024 campaign, in which it finished dead last and scored just a single points finish, this threatened to be a fresh low. Yet what has unfolded since then has been one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent F1 memory — one that has revived belief in the Audi project.

From Promise to Decline

Sauber’s decline did not happen overnight. At the dawn of Formula 1’s ground-effect era in 2022, the team looked like a solid midfield outfit. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu scored in the first nine races, bagging 51 points and sitting comfortably in the top half of the standings. But the momentum evaporated quickly.

Across the next 59 grands prix, Sauber mustered just 24 points — the worst haul of any team in that span. Development stagnated, correlation issues plagued the wind tunnel and simulations, and operational errors often squandered the few opportunities that did arise. Even when the car showed flashes of competitiveness, execution faltered.

The acquisition by Audi, first announced in 2022 and completed gradually until the German marque held 100% of the team (before selling a minority stake to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund), was supposed to herald a fresh start. But instead of stabilising, upheaval followed. Former McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl was ousted as CEO, chairman Oliver Hoffmann departed, and Mattia Binotto arrived as COO and chief technical officer. By mid-2024, the structure was in flux, morale was low, and the car was rooted to the back.

A Troubling Start to 2025

With Audi’s name due to appear in 2026, the 2025 campaign was meant to signal the beginning of a reset. Instead, the new C45 looked like another dud.

During Bahrain testing, the car was stiff, ungainly, and unwilling to respond predictably to driver inputs. Its mechanical setup window was narrow, leaving Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto struggling for consistency and confidence. Worst of all, the car behaved differently on track than in simulations — a recurring issue from 2024.

The team’s plight was obvious. Sauber ended testing ranked last, and while lap times in isolation are not always representative, the visual evidence matched the stopwatch. Once again, it appeared destined for a year of misery.

First Signs of Life in Australia

Yet the narrative began to shift almost immediately. By the opening race in Australia, Sauber introduced a package of updates — a new front wing, floor and bodywork tweaks, plus subtle “under-the-skin” changes. Technical director James Key admitted this was the car the team had intended to race, with its delayed debut stemming from the decision to push development as late as possible.

The difference was visible from the first free practice session in Melbourne. The C45 looked more composed, capable of edging into Q2. Bortoleto duly scraped through by seven-thousandths of a second, describing the car as “a bit better, but still not where we want it.”

Hülkenberg then delivered Sauber’s best result in nearly three years, finishing seventh after a shrewd call to pit for intermediate tyres at just the right moment. While the points owed something to circumstance, it was a vital morale boost.

Persistent Weaknesses

But underlying problems remained. Over the next eight races, the C45 proved capable of reaching Q2, but seldom threatened the top 10 on Sundays. The car could be quick over a single lap, but its peaky balance and poor performance in turbulent air crippled race pace.

All teams battle aerodynamic instability, but Sauber’s limitations were extreme. As sporting director Iñaki Rueda conceded, the car’s behaviour in traffic revealed fundamental weaknesses in airflow stability, both over the top body and crucially under the floor. Without the resources or refined simulation tools of front-running teams, Sauber was struggling to tame the complex vortices of the ground-effect era.

It was clear that a transformative upgrade was required.

The Spain Breakthrough

That breakthrough arrived at the Spanish Grand Prix. Sauber rolled out a heavily revised package, headlined by a new floor, updated front wing, and reshaped engine cover. Originally scheduled for Imola but delayed to refine its design, the new floor proved transformative.

Not only did it boost downforce, but it also created a far more stable and forgiving platform. Drivers could attack with greater confidence, unlocking more consistent lap times and better tyre management.

The impact was immediate. Hülkenberg finished fifth in Barcelona, aided by a well-timed safety car but already running inside the top 10 on merit. Bortoleto, too, had points-worthy pace before strategy compromised his race. “We’re on the map now,” said a visibly relieved Hülkenberg.

From Strugglers to Midfield Power

That Spanish breakthrough unlocked a wave of momentum. Sauber followed it with further refinements, including additional floor iterations in Austria and Silverstone. Each step built upon the last, creating a virtuous cycle of progress.

The results spoke for themselves. Hülkenberg added points in Canada, then both drivers scored in Austria. At Silverstone, Hülkenberg claimed a long-awaited maiden Formula 1 podium — third place in a rain-hit race. Bortoleto also impressed, reaching Q3 in Hungary and delivering consecutive points finishes before the summer break.

By August, Sauber had climbed to seventh in the constructors’ standings, firmly in the thick of the battle for fifth. More significantly, it had been the highest-scoring midfield team over the previous six races.

Behind the Scenes Transformation

This on-track resurgence was underpinned by sweeping changes behind the scenes. In past years, Sauber had been plagued not only by weak performance but also by sloppy execution. Botched strategies, manufacturing flaws — even a faulty batch of front wings in 2024 — undermined the effort.

That culture has shifted. Binotto’s arrival brought fresh processes and accountability, while Jonathan Wheatley — recruited in April as team principal — reinforced sharper execution. Rueda, who joined from Ferrari in late 2024, added further operational expertise.

Communication improved, organisational structures were streamlined, and the same personnel who once oversaw blunders began executing cleanly. Crucially, the correlation between wind tunnel, CFD, and trackside data also improved, allowing upgrades to work as intended.

Drivers Delivering

The rejuvenated structure has also empowered the drivers. Hülkenberg, long admired for his consistency and qualifying prowess, has converted that into strong race-day drives. His Silverstone podium was a career-defining moment, but his steady points scoring has been just as valuable.

Meanwhile, Bortoleto — the reigning Formula 2 champion — has grown rapidly in his rookie season. Three points finishes in four races before the summer break highlighted both his potential and his composure under pressure. Together, the pair have given Sauber a dependable platform for recovery.

A Platform for Audi

Six months ago, Audi’s impending works entry looked like a poisoned chalice — a manufacturer tying its reputation to a team languishing at the back. Now, momentum and credibility are firmly on its side.

Sauber’s transformation in 2025 does not mean Audi will arrive in 2026 as a frontrunner. A brand-new power unit and integration challenges loom large, and fighting for victories will take years. But the turnaround has demonstrated that the team can respond to adversity, deliver effective upgrades, and execute races cleanly.

In Formula 1, credibility is currency. Sauber has earned it again, just in time to hand the project over to Audi.

Conclusion

The story of Sauber’s 2025 campaign is one of redemption. From the humiliation of a disastrous 2024 and a dire pre-season, the Hinwil squad has clawed its way back into the midfield fight through smart development, cultural change, and operational discipline.

For Audi, this revival provides proof that its investment has substance. The foundations are being laid not just for survival in Formula 1, but for eventual success.

Six months ago, the idea of Audi becoming a genuine contender looked fanciful. Today, it feels entirely plausible. The long-term journey remains daunting, but the first steps — forged in Sauber’s final year under its own name — have finally been taken in the right direction.