Sauber F1 chief Alunni Bravi to leave team at end of January

Sauber managing director and team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi will part ways with the Formula 1 squad at the end of January after an eight-year stint.

The bespectacled Italian was added to the board of the Sauber team following its takeover by Longbow Finance in 2017, the investment company headed by TetraPak billionaire Finn Rausing.

Previously, Alunni Bravi had enjoyed a lengthy spell in a variety of roles across the world of motorsport, including driver and team management positions.

He became the managing director at Sauber (then Alfa Romeo) in 2022 and, following the departure of team principal Frederic Vasseur as the Frenchman took over at Ferrari in 2023, was appointed as team representative.

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Recent managerial changes at the team following its takeover and impending rebrand to Audi in 2026 have led to Alunni Bravi departing the team for a ‘new project’, as ex-Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley takes over as team principal.

“It is an emotional time as my journey with Sauber reaches its end,” said Alunni Bravi.

“Since I joined in 2017, I have seen this team grow and change beyond what anyone could have imagined.

“This organisation went through exciting and difficult times alike, all without ever losing its spirit and its commitment, which is something I find inspiring, and I was proud of being able to represent the team as its public face in the last two years.

“As I move on to a new project, I want to thank Finn Rausing, all those who put so much trust and faith in me at Sauber and Audi, and all the colleagues I have been working with for the last eight years. This team is a family and has a bright future ahead.”

Sauber is in its final year of running with its current moniker, used intermittently since the team was formed in 1993 around a variety of commercial deals with manufacturers, before it becomes the full works entity of Audi.

Mattia Binotto, who was installed as chief operating officer and chief technical officer at the team last year as the warring Oliver Hoffmann and Andreas Seidl both departed the team, felt that Alunni Bravi had “embodied the essence” of Sauber in his role at the team.

“Having worked closely with him in the months since my arrival to Hinwil, I want to pay tribute to Alessandro, a true team player who came to embody the essence of Sauber throughout the years.

“Alessandro played a wide range of roles within the team, steering it through difficult and exciting times alike.

“As he moves onto a new venture, the whole company would like to thank him for all his energy and contributions over the years and wish him the best for the future.”