Jacques Villeneuve Slams Sauber’s Lack of Competitive Drive Ahead of Audi Takeover in 2026

Jacques Villeneuve slams ex-F1 squad Sauber for lack of competitiveness

“They seem to have given up on competing seriously, so there's little else to comment on.”

1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has criticized his old team, Sauber, accusing them of lacking ambition in their competitiveness as they await Audi's entry into the sport in 2026.

Sauber remains the sole squad in the 2024 Formula 1 lineup without any points to their name.

The team from Switzerland frequently witnesses their racers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, starting in 19th and 20th places respectively, only to end up far behind in the final race standings.

Although Bottas began the season in a relatively competitive position, issues during pit stops frequently hindered his ability to earn points.

As the competition advanced, Sauber has fallen to the rear of the field, left behind by teams such as Alpine and Williams.

Starting in 2026, Audi is set to assume control of Sauber, transitioning into a complete factory team.

Nonetheless, Villeneuve, who once competed for the team back in their BMW era, was forthright in his criticism of them before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"He humorously pointed out that despite Sauber consistently finishing at the rear in both qualifiers and races, the competition is remarkably tight. The gap from the front-runners is merely around one to one and a half seconds," he stated.

Clearly, the Formula 1 car in question isn't terrible; it's just that, relative to the competition, it falls short. Back in the 1990s, teams at the back of the pack lagging by five seconds would have found this performance acceptable.

"However, it appears they're merely getting by until Audi steps in. There's little indication they're making significant efforts with the vehicle."

"They're hardly making an effort to compete, so there's not much more to comment on."

Sauber has not yet made a decision regarding their F1 driver roster for 2025.

Earlier in the year, it was revealed that Nico Hulkenberg had joined the team, however, Audi's new leader, Mattia Binotto, is currently considering different choices.

Bottas continues to be a solid choice for the team, and they are rumored to be evaluating McLaren's young talent Gabriel Bortoleto.

Bortoleto leads the Formula 2 championship rankings, with just one event remaining in the 2024 season.

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