Ex-Ferrari head of strategy Inaki Rueda joins Audi as F1 sporting director

Former Ferrari head of strategy Inaki Rueda has joined Audi as their new F1 sporting director.

Rueda will join the team from 2025, taking over from Beat Zehnder, who will take up a new role as director of signature programs and operations.

This is part of a wider restructure at Sauber as they prepare for Audi’s arrival in F1 2026.

Sauber have also announced Giampaolo Dall’Ara as their new head of race engineering.

He will oversee “the department's operations both at Hinwil and at the racetrack.”

Sauber noted: “The appointment is part of a move to optimise alignment on all car performance-related topics and to ensure a joint operations approach to topics concerning the car’s performance, and as part of which the company integrated the Race Engineering department into the Technical Group.

“Dall’Ara, an alumnus of the Politecnico di Milano, has an extensive motorsport background, including key roles within the Alfa Romeo DTM team and Sauber Motorsport, where he worked as Head of Test Engineering and Head of Track Engineering.

“Since 2016, he has been running his own consultancy firm. His wealth of experience positions him to drive race performance optimisation and collaboration with the Technical Group.”

Sauber have endured a miserable 2024 F1 season, failing to score a single point with four round to go.

Ex-Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto officially joined the organisation during the summer, becoming Audi CEO.

Binotto still has a key decision to make over their 2025 F1 driver line-up.

The Italian has to decide between Valtteri Bottas or a less experienced option in the form of either Franco Colapinto or Gabriel Bortoleto.