Stake F1 has announced the signing of Stefan Strähnz as Program Director ahead of Audi’s arrival in 2026 when new engine regulations are introduced.

Strähnz joins the Hinwil-based team from Mercedes, where he worked for 13 years. His official start date has been confirmed as October 1 this year, with him reporting to Sauber Group CEO Andreas Seidl. This is an important contract, as Strähnz brings with him more than 20 years of experience in F1, having previously worked for Toyota, BAR, Renault, Lotus and most recently Mercedes. Strähnz will help the team prepare for the transition into an Audi factory, which will produce its own engines.

“I am extremely proud and excited to be accompanying the talented people at Sauber Motorsport on the exciting journey to become the Audi F1 factory team in 2026,” said Strähnz. “I have been through a similar journey in my previous roles and I will apply all my knowledge and energy to this challenging new program to develop tools, processes and culture is essential for long-term sustainable success on and off the track.

“It is an honor to join an iconic brand like Audi with all its technological and motorsport achievements. I look forward to taking a leadership role in these ambitious goals.” Our hope is to win the F1 championship.” During his F1 career, Strähnz has held a variety of positions, from technical roles to leadership positions, and most recently moved into developing and implementing organizational strategy and operate. The Sauber Motorsport team sees his experience as a key factor in the team’s transition from Stake F1 to Audi in 2026. As stated by Seidl, Strähnz will work on F1 car programs, from bringing ideas from the factory to the track.

Seidl said: “I am delighted to welcome Stefan to the team and I am confident he will bring with him an incredible amount of experience from his previous roles where he won many races and championships, to complement and strengthen our leadership team.” “With his unique experience, Stefan will play a key role in driving the team’s overall performance and preparing us on our journey to optimizing comprehensive financial regulation as we become a racing team.” Audi F1 factory. “Working closely with himself, the management team and all of our expanding engineering, operations and finance departments, Stefan’s main task is to deliver streamlined F1 car programs and fully optimized, from concept all the way to the track.”