Audi has confirmed it is building a new Formula 1 "campus" near Sauber's long-established Swiss base in Hinwil, with the existing facility set to be repurposed as part of the project.

The German manufacturer completed its full takeover of Sauber this year, rebranding the team entirely under the Audi name after a gradual transition period ahead of its debut as a works outfit in Formula 1. Throughout that process, Sauber's Hinwil site remained the operational heart of the project, serving as the location where Audi's first F1 car was designed and built. Meanwhile, the manufacturer's first F1 engine was developed separately at a newly established facility in Neuburg, Germany.

According to Audi, it became clear early in the takeover that Sauber's existing infrastructure at Hinwil would require substantial investment to meet the demands of a modern works F1 operation. Rather than overhaul the current site alone, Audi has chosen to construct an entirely new campus located less than one kilometre from the existing facility. Once complete, the original Hinwil base will be redeveloped to serve as the team's manufacturing centre and house its windtunnel operations.

Parts of the new campus were already brought into use earlier this summer, though Audi says the project will not be fully finished until 2030. The manufacturer also confirmed it intends to keep its satellite technical centre in Bicester, England, running alongside the new Swiss campus. That UK base has allowed Audi to bring in personnel who are unwilling or unable to relocate permanently to Switzerland, giving the operation access to a wider talent pool across Europe.

Audi's Formula 1 CEO, Mattia Binotto, said the new campus would be central to the team's ambitions going forward, describing it as a facility that would help attract and keep top personnel. He said the best engineers, designers, mechanics and specialists in the sport want environments where they can collaborate, innovate and perform at the highest level, and that the new campus was designed to create exactly that kind of setting.

The development underlines Audi's long-term commitment to its Formula 1 project, which has involved years of investment in infrastructure, personnel and engine development before the manufacturer's full-scale entry as a constructor. With the Hinwil site now set for a new lease of life as a manufacturing and windtunnel hub, and a brand-new campus taking shape nearby, Audi appears to be laying the groundwork for a sustained works effort in the sport over the coming years.

Source: The Race

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