Sauber Motorsport, the firm that will run the new Audi Formula 1 team from 2026, has opened a new base at Bicester Motion.

The new technology centre in Oxfordshire will support the work of the team’s headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, helping with preparations for the 2026 season.

The firms cited access to the talent pool in the area – known as Motorsport Valley, with nearby teams including Mercedes-AMG, Red Bull and Alpine – as a key reason for opening the new base.

It had also considered sites in Silverstone and Milton Keynes.

“This facility will allow us to tap into the talent pool in Motorsport Valley and further strengthen our technical capabilities while being part of a thriving cluster at Bicester Motion, where you live and breathe motorsport,” said Mattia Binotto, head of the Audi F1 project.

In addition to the abundance of talent in the motorsport and automotive trades at Bicester, the site has cultural importance: it hosts the Scramble, a popular seasonal car meet, in addition to large events such as Radwood. 

“It is thrilling that Bicester Motion has been chosen as [Audi-Sauber’s] UK base connecting into their Swiss and German operations to support their vision,” said Daniel Geoghegan, CEO of Bicester Motion.