As Motorsport.com reports, the Audi Formula 1 team has laid out its grand vision for the future by announcing plans for a brand-new campus located near its existing factory in Hinwil, Switzerland. Elements of this new Zurichstrasse campus are slated to become operational in summer 2026, while the full development is scheduled for completion in 2030.
That historic Hinwil base has deep roots in the sport. Peter Sauber founded his eponymous team there in 1970, running Mercedes' sportscar racing programme in the 1980s before stepping up to Formula 1 in 1993. BMW later purchased the operation in 2005 before selling it back to Sauber in 2009. Audi then stepped in, acquiring the operation in stages and taking full control in January 2025.
We are not simply moving into an existing facility; we are creating a home designed around our people, our culture and our ambitions,
Transforming the facility has been no small task. Because the team operated on a shoestring budget following BMW's departure, both the Computational Fluid Dynamics cluster and the wind tunnel required substantial modernisation. In a famous piece of motorsport lore, that very wind tunnel was originally funded by monies received from Mercedes to release Kimi Raikkonen from his Sauber contract for a move to McLaren in 2002. While the site on Wildbachstrasse will be redeveloped, the vital wind tunnel will be retained, and the existing Hinwil facility will continue serving as a wind tunnel and manufacturing base.
Geographical spread remains a key part of the strategy. Audi's engine development facility will stay firmly planted in Neuberg, and the team will continue maintaining offices in Bicester. That UK satellite facility was originally established to recruit experienced personnel who were either unwilling or unable to relocate to Switzerland.
Mattia Binotto, serving as Audi F1 CEO and team principal, emphasised the human element behind the infrastructure push. "The campus will play an important role in helping us attract and retain world-class talent while providing the foundations required to achieve our long-term ambitions," Binotto stated. "Building a successful Formula 1 team is ultimately about people."
Binotto added further context on the unique nature of the build. "The best engineers, designers, mechanics and specialists want to work in an environment that allows them to collaborate, innovate and perform at their highest level. The campus will help us create exactly that environment. What makes this project particularly special is that it allows us to shape the future of Audi Revolut F1 Team from the ground up. Opportunities like this are rare in modern Formula 1."
"We are not simply moving into an existing facility; we are creating a home designed around our people, our culture and our ambitions," Binotto concluded. "This campus is an important part of that journey. We are proud that the next chapter of Audi Revolut F1 Team will be written in Hinwil and I would like place on record my thanks to the Municipality of Hinwil itself."
