When Audi confirmed it would enter Formula 1 as a full works programme for 2026, the focus fell naturally on power units, governance and long-term competitive ambition.
The four rings were to debut in the sport with a stated target of fighting for world championships by the end of the decade.
Less visible was the commercial engineering required to make that ambition credible.
Audi was not building from zero. It acquired Sauber – an independent team with its own partners, structures and commitments – with the aim of evolving into a factory-scale manufacturer operation without pausing delivery in the present.
For Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer of the Audi Revolut F1 Team, that transition was never seen as a simple rebranding exercise.
“I think it’s like launching a new product,” he told Sector.
“We focused on two different products and treated them as two different products as well. We had product managers on both sides while I was steering the whole thing.”
Rather than allowing Sauber to gradually morph into Audi, the commercial department treated the transition as two parallel propositions.
One structure continued to operate under the existing identity, delivering value to partners and maintaining activation across the calendar.
The other was constructed to reflect what a factory-backed Audi team would require – different expectations, different positioning assets and a different scale.
That meant growing capability while the old structure was still running. Headcount increased significantly, systems were reworked and responsibilities redefined – not in anticipation of 2026, but well before it.
“We needed to build this new commercial structure for a factory team, which is different expectations, different positioning assets, completely different setup,” Battiston said.
“It’s like if you go to the gym, you can’t just skip the gym for one year and then come back and think you can lift more weights than you did before. You need to constantly train, you need to constantly build.”
For Audi, that meant building the commercial infrastructure before the manufacturer badge formally appeared on the entry list.
Respecting Sauber, defining Audi
The most delicate aspect of the transition lay in partner management.
Audi’s arrival could have been interpreted as a hard reset and chance to build from the ground up.
Instead, Battiston described what he called a “blank slate” approach – not in the sense of wiping the board clean, but in reassessing every relationship against the proposition of a factory-backed manufacturer.
At Sauber we appreciated partners, because we knew that we need them to survive – it’s a different type of relationship you have to your partners, because you’re very, very grateful to them.
Stefano Battiston
“When we built this Audi project, we had this approach where we literally had a blank slate in front of us,” he said.
“We considered all our partners, because I think partners are an important asset for us, especially if you look at the history of Sauber.
“I think at Sauber we appreciated partners, because we knew that we need them to survive – it’s a different type of relationship you have to your partners, because you’re very, very grateful to them. And that’s why we wanted to give partners also the opportunity to stay on board.
“It’s not that we don’t have any legacy partners with us, as you change the product, and you have a complete different proposition, it just resulted in having a different set of partners.
“The others, we sometimes even helped them to find a new place in Formula One, because they just said, ‘look, it’s just a different project and we want to stay where we are’. Not everybody wants to be part of a factory team, and we had to accept that.”
Brands such as Aleph, Camozzi and JigSpace were among those to continue their association with the Audi team having previously been partners with Sauber, while Revolut coming on board as title partner and the likes of adidas, Gillette and Paulaner were new additions to the portfolio.
Lauding the Rings
If the transition was initially about structure and relationships, it ultimately comes back to the size of the operation being put in place.
“I think it’s the scale,” Battiston said when asked about the biggest commercial shift.
“We had six paddock club lounges last year with Sauber. We’re going to have 16 next season with Audi.
“We have a brand new motorhome, we have a brand new hospitality, we have a new catering partner. So everything changed, everything is new and this is the biggest challenge that we actually had.
“We have the responsibility to bring the rings to Formula One, which I think is a once in a generation opportunity or once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Having a greater hospitality presence and an eye-catching motorhome to welcome guests signals intent and presence in the F1 paddock.
Sauber operated at the scale of an independent team but now the expectation of a full Audi entry means matching those ambitions where it is most visible to partners.
The four rings bring heritage, but they also bring obligation, Audi arrives with brand equity built over decades, and the commercial platform must reflect that from day one.
Challenger first
Despite the expansion, Audi is cautious about how it positions itself at the outset, knowing it is competing against rivals with decades of experience agains its new operation.
The target is world championships by 2030, but for now it is a quieter entry into F1.
“We start as a challenger. We often say we have the charm of a challenger with the power of a champion,” Battiston added.
“We know we have the power of the four rings and we know the legacy they have in motorsports.
“At the same time, we enter new into Formula One and we’re a challenger here. So we first need to find our spot and we need to fight for our position before then building.
“I hope that the paddock sees and feels and understands that we are a serious competitor here, also from a commercial perspective.”
The transition from Sauber to Audi has not been about erasing the past or rushing towards the future.
It has been about running two commercial operations at once, reassessing relationships without burning them and building the structure required to carry the weight of the four rings – before the first competitive lap under the new name is even complete.
Next week: Battiston explains to Sector how Audi delivered a commercial base before turning a wheel
