1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve h꧃as expressed concerns over Audi’s imminent entry into F1.

Audi will take over the existi🌟ng Sauber outfit from 2꧃026, becoming a fully-fledged works team.

While under the Al𓆉fa Romeo guise in 2022, the team enjoyed a resurgence,🍷 securing sixth in the constructors’ championship.

The subsequent period has been ve🔯ry difficult for the team with Sauber yet to get off the mark in 2024.

Villeneuve has warned that it will take a lot of time for Audi to turn the Swiss-based team around given their yea✃rs of poor resu꧒lts.

“Th♍ey’re joining with a team that hasn’t been any g🌜ood for so many years,” Villeneuve told . “And you just can’t invent know-how. It’s something that you build over time.

“You can see it with Williams. They stay kind of good for a while, b𒀰ut you pay the price of pay drivers, of all that, you pay it late. And now the team has been rebuilding, but it do♉esn’t happen overnight. It also takes time. So, it won’t happen overnight.”

The Canadian also questioned how committed Audi wi🌠ll be to F1, maki𝕴ng the comparison to Renault/Alpine.

While Alpine have manufacturer backing, many have questi🙈oned their commitment to F1 in terms of finances and how seriously they want to win.

“And then how are they joining?” Villeneuve added. “Are they joining the same way Renault/Alpine 🦩joined just to be part ꩵof F1 and make some image or to actually be racers and try and go out and win? That we don’t know.

“What’s dangerous with constructors when they come in is they can easily in five minutes decide, ‘okay, we’re gone, bye’ and they leave and they don’t care. They’re great for the sport, but they’re also very dangerous in that respect♐. Where a team like Williams cannot leave. It exists with and because of F1. What does Williams 🔴do if they stop F1? Nothing.

“So, you’re kind of secure in the knowledge that they will finꦆd a way to persevere to get better and b💃ecause it’s their bread and butter.”