Audi-Sauber opens a base in the UK
Audi-Sauber can also be transferring to England by opening a brand new base to recruit high-profile engineers and shut the hole with different F1 groups as rapidly as attainable. This resolution, made by undertaking supervisor Mattia Binotto, was additionally taken to deal with an financial situation, not only a logistical one. For a lot of British engineers, relocating to Hinwil (a small city about 30 km from Zurich) is usually a family-related problem. Moreover, Sauber spends extra on employees salaries than different F1 groups primarily based within the UK and Italy on account of Switzerland’s excessive price of residing. For that reason, Audi had requested a funds cap exemption from the FIA beginning in 2026, however thus far with out success.
Ferrari, the one F1 workforce with out a UK base
Opening a technical heart in England, particularly within the so-called Midlands Motor Valley (the world between Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire within the south-central a part of the nation), might partially compensate for this financial and logistical drawback by attracting higher-profile engineers and technicians. Nevertheless, Sauber’s transfer can also be important for one more cause: till now, it was the one workforce, alongside Ferrari, with out a UK base. With Mattia Binotto’s resolution, the Maranello workforce stays the only F1 workforce with out a manufacturing facility or operational heart within the English Motor Valley. However the place precisely are the F1 groups headquartered? Let’s discover out.
McLaren
Headquarters: Woking, United Kingdom
The reigning Constructors’ Champion, McLaren, doesn’t develop an engine however is a Mercedes buyer workforce. All chassis and aerodynamic elements not outsourced to third-party suppliers are produced on the historic Woking headquarters, a city of about 60,000 residents in Surrey.
Ferrari
Headquarters: Maranello, Italy
There’s no want to say that Ferrari, the historic Italian automotive model and producer, relies in Italy. The principle manufacturing facility is, after all, within the legendary Maranello, a city of fewer than 20,000 folks in Modena province, globally well-known as the house of the Prancing Horse. Right here, all Ferrari automobiles are constructed, together with F1 single-seaters and racing automobiles for different motorsport competitions. Nevertheless, this hasn’t all the time been the case: between 1987 and 1991, Ferrari outsourced some F1 design actions to Guildford, England, on the request of then-technical director John Barnard, who was reluctant to relocate to Emilia. The middle was shut down after some failed initiatives and Barnard’s subsequent departure from Ferrari.
Purple Bull
Headquarters: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Purple Bull, the reigning Drivers’ Champion with Max Verstappen aiming to equal Michael Schumacher’s report of 5 consecutive F1 titles in 2025, relies in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The manufacturing facility was inherited from groups that raced in F1 earlier than Purple Bull entered the game: it was utilized by Stewart from 1996 to 1999 after which by Jaguar from 2000 to 2004. The power is at present increasing, because the workforce, with Ford’s help, is creating its personal hybrid turbo energy models underneath the Purple Bull Powertrains division, set to debut in 2026.
Mercedes
Headquarters: Brackley, United Kingdom | Engine Facility: Brixworth, United Kingdom
In contrast to the opposite groups talked about thus far, Mercedes has a twin operational base, each positioned in England and only a few kilometers aside. The automobiles are designed and developed on the Brackley manufacturing facility, whereas the facility models that dominated the turbo-hybrid period from 2014 to 2021 are produced in Brixworth.
Aston Martin
Headquarters: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Only a few meters from the Silverstone circuit’s entrance lies the Aston Martin Racing manufacturing facility, not too long ago renovated and considerably expanded. In contrast to Ferrari in Italy, nevertheless, your entire Expertise Campus is at present devoted solely to the F1 workforce, whereas the manufacturing of Aston Martin street automobiles stays primarily based in close by Gaydon.
Alpine
Headquarters: Enstone, United Kingdom | Engine Facility: Viry-Châtillon, France
Regardless of its French origins, Alpine— which took over from Renault in F1 in 2021— is headquartered within the UK. The workforce’s fundamental manufacturing facility is in Enstone, beforehand utilized by Toleman, Benetton, Lotus, and Renault. In the meantime, the V6 turbo-hybrid energy unit is produced in France on the Viry-Châtillon facility. Nevertheless, from 2026, the Renault group will not provide F1 engines, because the workforce, underneath Flavio Briatore’s steering, has secured a buyer take care of Mercedes.
Haas
Headquarters: Kannapolis, United States | Manufacturing facility: Banbury, United Kingdom, and Varano de’ Melegari, Italy
Haas is the smallest and most cosmopolitan workforce in F1. Based by Gene Haas, it’s an American workforce with its headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Nevertheless, managing every day operations from such a distance is impractical, so the F1 automobiles are designed in Banbury, UK, with some elements manufactured on the Dallara manufacturing facility in Varano de’ Melegari, Italy. Lately, Haas has additionally maintained workplace house inside Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters.
Racing Bulls
Headquarters: Faenza, Italy | Secondary Base: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Regardless of a number of identify adjustments, Racing Bulls (previously Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri, and RB) stays the workforce closest to Ferrari when it comes to operational base. The “B workforce” of Purple Bull has traditionally been headquartered in Faenza, Ravenna province, on the former Minardi headquarters, which it took over in 2006. Nevertheless, robust synergies exist with Purple Bull and its Milton Keynes manufacturing facility, the place some elements are produced.
Williams
Headquarters: Grove, United Kingdom
The legendary workforce based by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, which gained 9 Constructors’ and seven Drivers’ titles in F1, stays UK-based regardless of being owned by the American funding agency Dorilton Capital. The manufacturing facility is positioned in Grove, Oxfordshire.
Sauber
Headquarters: Hinwil, Switzerland | Secondary Base: Midlands space, United Kingdom (from 2025) | Engine Facility: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany
Till now, Sauber was the one F1 workforce in addition to Ferrari with out a UK operational base. This can change with Binotto and Audi’s resolution to open a facility by mid-2025 within the Bicester-Silverstone-Milton Keynes space whereas sustaining its fundamental headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland. In actuality, Sauber may have three websites, as its energy unit might be developed at Audi Sport’s Neuburg an der Donau facility in Germany.