Pedro de la Rosa thinks the Four Rings will eventually become contenders for the championship with Audi planned to arrive on the F1 grid in 2026.
According to Pedro de la Rosa’s expectations, the upcoming Audi F1 squad will eventually be a serious contender for the World Championship.
In line with another change in regulations for motor racing in 2026, it was announced this past year that Audi would supply engines for the Formula 1 season.
The Four Rings then revealed in October that they had partnered strategically with Sauber, the German manufacturer planning to buy the team and make it Audi’s official squad.
Before officially owning Alfa Romeo-badged Sauber, Audi has already appointed experienced McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl as CEO and bought a minority stake in the Swiss-based team.
De la Rosa acknowledged the Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber team’s existing problems when speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, adding that Audi would be ready to put in the effort and time that is needed for the squad to establish itself as a title contender.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
“This is a marathon. I think that Andreas understands that this is not a one-year deal or a one-year project. It’s a marathon and they’ve just covered the first kilometer, so there’s still a lot to be covered,” said de la Rosa, who raced for both McLaren and Sauber during his time in F1, and was especially renowned for his skills as a test and development driver.
“Alfa Romeo are difficult to judge, from my point of view. Very inconsistent sometimes.
“Sometimes they’re really fast, sometimes they’re really slow.
“It seems to depend very much on the on track, and also on tyre management; sometimes they seem to bring the tyres into the right operating window, sometimes they’re out of sync.
“But this is a long-term sport, and [Audi] will play the game, and they will be title contenders in a few years.”
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F1, F1 2023, FIA, Formula 1, Grand Prix, Audi, Pedro de la Rosa, Alfa Romeo