Sauber veteran Zehnder to leave Audi at end of 2026

Veteran Swiss engineer and long-time Sauber Team Manager Beat Zehnder will leave the Formula 1 team now known as Audi at the end of the year.

The 60-year-old joined Sauber Motorsport in 1988, five years before the operation entered Formula 1, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Sportscar Championship with Sauber’s sportscar programme.

He was there on the first day the Formula 1 team opened its doors in 1993 and stepped up to Team Manager the following year before being appointed to the management committee in 2018.

The Swiss worked on 601 consecutive Grands Prix and will have spent nearly four decades with the Hinwil-based squad.

During his time at the team, he has worked with the likes of world champions Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, plus race winners Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, Robert Kubica, Felipe Massa and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

When Audi made Sauber their works team, he moved into a factory-based role, leading Audi’s heritage activities as Director of Signature Programs and Operations.

On Friday, ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, Audi said Zehnder will leave the organisation “following the restructuring of its operations ahead of the 2027 season”.

They added: “Beat has been a mentor to hundreds of team members and drivers who have passed through Hinwil over the years.

“During his tenure, he enjoyed both the highs and lows of working in such a demanding sport, never losing his professionalism, his relentless competitive streak and desire to win.

“We thank him for 39 years of outstanding service and wish him all the very best for the future.”