Sauber: Alunni-Bravi denies the impact of Audi’s arrival on current performance

Faced with the difficulties encountered by the Sauber team this season, team director Alessandro Alunni-Bravi wanted to clarify some points in a press conference on Friday.

Translate: « Performance is not up to par, it’s a fact », he acknowledged. « While we were able to show promising performance at the beginning of the year, we were unable to translate it into results due to recurring reliability issues. Furthermore, other teams, notably Red Bull and Alpine, have improved with their updates, widening the gap. »

« We have resolved the reliability issues, especially concerning pit stops, Alunni-Bravi explained. « However, during a qualifying lap, we are not at the required level to hope to score points. »

Preparation for Audi and impact on the current season

Interviewed about the impact of the preparation for Audi’s entry in 2026 on the current season, Alunni-Bravi believes it is important not to confuse the two things. The preparation of the Audi team in 2026 should not affect the two ongoing seasons. We have weaknesses to correct, and that’s what we are working on. Andreas Seidl has been involved since last January in this transformation process, which begins with strengthening the current structure and recruiting talents for our technical teams. There are not two distinct teams, but one that should serve as the basis for the Audi factory team.

The Sauber team leader toned down the remarks made by Valtteri Bottas at a press conference on Thursday, where the driver had mentioned taking a step back to take two steps forward.

He began, “I wouldn’t say it’s false. It is true that we are not where we should be in terms of recruitment and investment. That is why Audi decided to take full control of the Sauber group in March, in order to inject the necessary funds to bring us up to the level of the factory team. We know where we want to go, but the road is still long.”