Sauber signs Ignacio Rueda, former strategy director at Ferrari

Sauber has recruited Ignacio Rueda, former director of race strategy and sporting director at Ferrari. This recruitment is part of the transformation of the Swiss team, which is preparing to become the official Audi team in 2026.

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"A real challenge for Audi in 2026."

A strategic reinforcement and the return of Dall’Ara

Rueda will take over from Beat Zehnder, Sauber’s longtime sporting director, who will assume the role of director of signature programs and operations starting in 2025.

Zehnder, an iconic figure at Sauber since its debut in F1, will continue to ensure a smooth transition: according to a team statement, it is about the best possible transition as the team grows in its new structure.

Before his time at Ferrari, where he worked under Mattia Binotto between 2021 and 2023, Rueda had already built up solid experience at Jordan and Renault/Lotus.

Furthermore, Sauber has announced the return of Giampaolo Dall’Ara, former head of race engineering from 2009 to 2015. After leaving for the DTM, Dall’Ara is coming back to oversee race engineering, whether it’s at the Hinwil headquarters or at the circuits.

Their mission will be to optimize alignment on all car performance-related topics, under the direction of Binotto.

A global restructuring before Audi’s arrival.

These new arrivals are part of a broader reorganization at Sauber.

Jonathan Wheatley, former member of Red Bull, will also join Sauber as team principal mid-season 2025. Finally, Stefan Strahnz from Mercedes joins Sauber as Program Director .

« These changes in direction instill a new confidence in the team, strengthening the organization as it prepares for future challenges and opportunities, emphasized Sauber, highlighting the team’s ambitions for the future as a factory team.