Beat Zehnder, who was Sauber’s long-standing team manager before being rebranded to Audi will leave the Formula 1 team after this season.
Zehnder was a focal point in Sauber’s F1 operations, having been in the paddock since the very start of the project, back in 1993.
The Swiss engineer joined Sauber Motorsport in 1988, and was integral to its sportscar programme with triumphs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the outright World Sportscar Championship.
He was elevated to team manager of the F1 team in 1994 and stayed in that role until another promotion onto the management committee in 2018.
After the Audi rebrand, Zehnder became the Director of Signature Programs and Operations – looking after Audi’s heritage activities.
The German marque has now announced that Zehnder will be leaving the team at the end of the 2026 season as part of the team’s “restructuring of its operations ahead of the 2027 season.”
Earlier this week, Audi had named Thomas Fuhr as the new CEO of its F1 project.
Full statement from Audi
Audi announced Zehnder’s departure on the eve of the F1 Mexico City GP.
The team statement said, “Audi Revolut F1 Team places on record its sincere thanks to Beat Zehnder, who will leave the team at the end of December 2026 following the restructuring of its operations ahead of the 2027 season. Beat has been a mentor to hundreds of team members and drivers who have passed through Hinwil over the years.”
“Beat joined Sauber Motorsport in 1988 and was part of the team’s sportscar programme that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Sportscar Championship in 1989 and 1990, before moving into Formula 1 with the team in 1993.
“He served as Team Manager from 1994, was appointed to the Management Committee in 2018 and most recently led the team’s Heritage activities as Director Signature Programs & Operations. 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.
“He steps away with 36 World Sportscar Championship races and 601 consecutive Formula One races to his name. We thank him for 39 years of outstanding service and wish him all the very best for the future.”
Zehnder steps away from the Hinwil-based squad with over 600 Grands Prix under his belt and a resume boasting of drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez under his guidance while at Sauber.
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