Sauber bolster F1 technical team ahead of Audi entry with new signing

Sauber have bolstered their F1 technical team with the signing of Stefano Sordo as their new performance director.

Sordo will fill the newly-created role of performance director as Sauber gear up for Audi’s arrival in 2026.

The Italian will report directly to technical director James Key and becomes Audi’s latest major signing.

Sordo has a wealth of top tier motorsport experience spanning two decades.

He spent a number of years as a race engineer for Arrows, Jaguar and Red Bull before becoming aero performance leader in 2007.

Sordo was promoted to head of aero performance in 2014 before switching to McLaren in 2016.

He spent six years at Woking before moving stateside with RLL Racing, competing in Indycar and ISMA as their technical director.

Speaking of the news, Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl said: “The appointment of Stefano is an important step in the development of the structure of our technical department.

“Stefano knows what a winning squad needs, brings a wealth of experience to the team and, with the different array of roles he played in the past, he is perfectly placed to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of our technical operations, and address what is required. 

“We have a strong technical team in Hinwil, and Stefano’s appointment will help us to harness these skills and turn them into performance as we continue in this crucial time for our outfit, with the Audi F1 works team being readied for its debut.”

Sordo added: “I am delighted to join Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber and take on a role that will have a direct impact on unlocking the performance we already have within our company, and help it reach new heights. 

“The team is at a crucial juncture in its history, with the start of the Audi adventure just around the corner, and I am looking forward to tackling the challenge that lies ahead. I am excited about what the future holds: the targets the team has set for itself are ambitious, but I see a lot of confidence from everyone within this organisation.”