Audi Driver Development Programme

Last updated

Flag of Germany.svg Audi Driver Development Programme
Founded2019;7 years ago (2019) (as Sauber Junior Team)
Base Hinwil, Zürich, Switzerland
Team principal(s) Allan McNish
Current driversFormula 3
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Freddie Slater
F1 Academy
Flag of none.svg TBA

The Audi Driver Development Programme, formerly known as the Sauber Junior Team and Sauber Academy, is a driver development programme by Audi F1 Team to support drivers through the feeder series ladder to promote them to their Formula One team.

Contents

In November 2018, Sauber Motorsport entered a partnership with Czech team Charouz Racing System to form the Sauber Junior Team. With Charouz give the drivers who competed in Formula 2 and Formula 3 the junior status. [1] Sauber and Charouz expanded their involvement in Formula 4, they collaborate with US Racing. [2] After 2019 Sauber parted ways with Charouz and rebranded the programme as the Sauber Academy. [3] [4] [5]

After Audi took over Sauber's entry, the team launched their driver academy, which indirectly replaced the Sauber Academy. [6]

Current drivers

DriverYearsCurrent seriesTitles as Audi Driver Development Programme driver
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Freddie Slater [7] 2026– Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
FIA Formula 3 		none as Audi Driver Development Programme driver
Flag of none.svg TBA2026– F1 Academy none as Audi Driver Development Programme driver

Former drivers

Sauber Junior Team (2019)

DriverYearsSeries that driver competed as Sauber Junior Team
Flag of the United States.svg Juan Manuel Correa 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019)
Flag of France.svg Alessandro Ghiretti 2019 ADAC Formula 4 (2019)
Flag of South Africa.svg Raoul Hyman 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2019)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Callum Ilott [note 1] 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019)
Flag of Monaco.svg Arthur Leclerc 2019 ADAC Formula 4 (2019)
Flag of France.svg Théo Pourchaire 2019 ADAC Formula 4 ( 2019 )
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabio Scherer 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2019)
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Roman Staněk 2019 ADAC Formula 4 (2019)
Italian F4 Championship (2019)
Flag of Germany.svg Lirim Zendeli 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2019)

Sauber Academy (2020–2025)

DriverYearsSeries that driver competed as Sauber Academy
Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. [8] 2020Karting (2020)
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Petr Ptáček 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup (2020)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dexter Patterson 2020–2021Karting (2020)
Italian F4 Championship (2020)
GB3 Championship (2021)
Flag of France.svg Théo Pourchaire [9] [10] 2020–2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2020)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2020– 2023 )
Super Formula (2024)
IndyCar Series (2024)
Flag of the United States.svg Juan Manuel Correa [11] 2021–2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2021–2022)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2022)
Flag of Brazil.svg Roberto Faria [12] 2022 GB3 Championship (2022)
Flag of France.svg Marcus Amand [13] 2023 Formula Regional European Championship (2023)
Flag of Brazil.svg Miguel Costa [14] [15] 2023 Karting – OKJ (2023)
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Léna Bühler 2023–2024 Formula 4 UAE Championship (2023)
F1 Academy (2023)
Formula Regional European Championship (2024)
Flag of Germany.svg Taym Saleh [13] 2023–2024 Karting – OK (2021–2022)
Flag of Barbados.svg Zane Maloney [16] 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2024)
Flag of Germany.svg Carrie Schreiner [17] 2024 Formula 4 UAE Championship (2024)
Formula Winter Series (2024)
F1 Academy (2024)
F4 British Championship (2024)
Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (2024)
Flag of Austria.svg Emma Felbermayr [18] 2025 F1 Academy (2025)
F4 Spanish Championship (2025)
F4 British Championship (2025)

Sauber Karting Team

After the creation of Sauber Junior Team, They created a karting team in March 2019, aligned with Kart Republic. [19]

DriverYearsSeries that driver competed
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Joshua Dufek 2019Karting (2019)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dexter Patterson 2019Karting (2019)
Flag of Singapore.svg Christian Ho 2019–2021Karting (2019–2021)
Flag of Poland.svg Piotr Czaja2020Karting (2020)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Harry Thompson [20] 2020Karting (2020)
Flag of the United States.svg Ugo Ugochukwu [21] 2020–2021Karting (2020–2021)
Flag of Singapore.svg Tiziano Monza [22] 2020–2021Karting (2020–2021)
Flag of Brazil.svg Miguel Costa [23] [24] 2020–2022 Karting – OKJ (2020–2022)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sonny Smith [25] 2021 Karting – OKJ (2021)
Flag of Poland.svg Maciej Gładysz [26] 2021 Karting – OKJ (2021)
Flag of Poland.svg Gustaw Wiśniewski [26] 2021 Karting – OKJ (2021)
Flag of the Philippines.svg Zachary David [27] 2021–2022 Karting – OK (2021–2022)

Sauber Affiliate drivers

In 2014, Sauber set up Sauber Affiliate drivers, a F1 preparation programme with the team, including on-track testing, simulator work, as well as mental and physical training, with the goal of gaining the FIA Super Licence required for F1 competition. [28]

DriverYearsSeries that driver competed as Sauber Affiliate
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Simona de Silvestro 2014None

Notes

  1. ↑ In 2019 Ilott was part of both the Sauber Junior Team and the Ferrari Driver Academy.

References

  1. ↑ "Sauber establish junior team with Charouz Racing System". 15 November 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  2. ↑ Kalinauckas, Alex (9 April 2019). "Arthur Leclerc joins Sauber junior team". Motorsport.com . Motorsport Network . Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "Théo Pourchaire and Roberto Faria fly the flag for Sauber Academy". 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Wood, Elliot (24 June 2020). "Sauber relaunches its F1 junior programme with four drivers". FormulaScout. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Wood, Elliot (29 January 2020). "Karters Harry Thompson and Miguel Costa become Sauber juniors". FormulaScout. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Audi announce Driver Development Programme with Allan McNish as Director". F1 . 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Audi sign Freddie Slater to Driver Development Programme". Formula 1 . 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Sauber junior Emmo Fittipaldi to make car racing debut in Danish F4". 18 March 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  9. ↑ Cleeren, Filip (24 June 2024). "Sauber F1 team looking to find Pourchaire a new IndyCar seat". Motorsport. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  10. ↑ Wood, Ida (18 December 2024). "Sauber confirms departure of F1 reserve drivers Pourchaire and Maloney". Formula Scout. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  11. ↑ "Comeback to greater things: Juan Manuel Correa joins Sauber Academy". Sauber Group. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  12. ↑ Allen, Peter (16 March 2022). "Roberto Faria joins Theo Pourchaire in Sauber Academy". Formula Scout. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Raising the champions of the future: Sauber Academy announces 2023 line-up". Sauber. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "Karters Harry Thompson and Miguel Costa become Sauber juniors". 29 January 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  15. ↑ Wood, Ida (5 November 2024). "Miguel Costa steps up from karting to cars with Campos in Spanish F4". Formula Scout. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  16. ↑ "Zane Maloney joins Sauber Academy and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber as Reserve Driver". Formula 2. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Schreiner to represent Sauber Academy in F1 Academy for 2024". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Zambarloukos, Alexander (17 December 2024). "Für eine 17-jährige Welserin lebt der Traum von der Formel 1" . Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  19. ↑ Mitchell, Scott (29 March 2019). "Sauber launches kart team with ex-Rosberg/Hamilton boss". Autosport . Motorsport Network . Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  20. ↑ "Karters Harry Thompson and Miguel Costa become Sauber juniors". 29 January 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  21. ↑ Scout, Formula (22 July 2021). "Five young drivers Alfa Romeo should support in its Stellantis era". Formula Scout. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "Tiziano Monza – Mini Driver". 24 June 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "Karters Harry Thompson and Miguel Costa become Sauber juniors". 29 January 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  24. ↑ Wood, Ida (5 November 2024). "Miguel Costa steps up from karting to cars with Campos in Spanish F4". Formula Scout. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  25. ↑ "New F1 juniors join grid for 2021 karting season opener in Italy". 16 February 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  26. 1 2 "Sauber's karting team welcomes Maciej Gladysz and Gustaw Wisniewski". 2 February 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  27. ↑ "David Zachary joins the Sauber Karting Team". 7 December 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  28. ↑ "Sauber hire IndyCar driver Simona de Silvestro to prepare her for F1". The Guardian . 14 February 2014.
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