Alessandro Alunni Bravi, CEO of the Sauber Group, spoke in an interview with Diario AS about the challenges facing the Swiss team this season and in the longer term, when the strategic alliance with Audi is established.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi: “Our goal in 2023 is clear: the team must continue to grow and develop in all areas. About half of the period ending in 2026 is behind us. The level of competition in Formula 1 is very high, the teams on track are fractions of a second away and our ability to upgrade the car will determine whether we can come to the final race of the season in better shape than Haas, Alpha Tauri and Willems.
In essence, the C43 is a good car, but in the course of its refinement it is necessary to rely on the most effective solutions. We can already see that the teams that succeed in this are making significant strides.
In Formula 1, the bar is set very high and every year it goes higher and higher. For example, we compete with teams such as Alpine and McLaren. We all have access to the same technologies, the skill level of the riders is also the same for everyone. But the difference is in the level of infrastructure, as top teams have invested in its development over the years. And second tier teams like ours now have to do this.
But right now we are building our future. To fight for the podiums in 2026, we need to strengthen, invest in and try to improve the infrastructure of the team. All this is happening in parallel with the development of the power plant, which is being done by Audi specialists at the base in Neuburg.
We will be a factory Audi team, we will have our own engine, like Mercedes or Ferrari. And now we focus on improving the chassis. By 2026, we have to integrate into a single structure together with Audi Sport, and this is a very difficult project, because there will be a lot of changes in the team.
We have to learn a new way of working, and this will affect all departments – design, production, commercial. But at the same time, everything must be done to achieve the best possible result in 2024 and 2025, because a solid foundation must be laid during this period.
It is still too early to think about which riders will be on the team in 2026. This is of course a very important factor on which the results depend. But at the moment we have a good line-up, a combination of experience and talent, and continuity is also important to us.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
