With a collection of trophies accumulated from the World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, the Dakar Rally and all the other motorsport adventures in which Audi launched over time, expectations from the manufacturer are high ahead of its appearance in the Formula 1 championship.
“We don't come into Formula 1 just to show up. We want to win. At the same time, we know that you can't become the best team in Formula 1 overnight. It takes time, persistence and constant questioning of the status quo. By 2030, we want to fight for the world title,” said Audi President and CEO Gernot Döllner at the presentation of the first Formula 1 brand concept in Munich, Germany, in 115 days before her first race.
Car guide was on hand to take a look at the Concept R26, the single-seater that announces Audi's entry into the 2026 Formula 1 Championship.
Homemade power unit
The acquisition of the Swiss Sauber group, combined with the necessary funding from the Qatari sovereign wealth fund joining as a partner, provided Audi with the necessary entry point into the series.
The Audi F1 project is led by two famous athletes, former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley (formerly of Red Bull). Two current Sauber drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, will wear the badge for all four years in the 2026 season.
Photo: Audi
Audi will obviously enter the race armed with its own moving artillery. The 1.6-liter V6 in question has been in development since spring 2022 at the development workshops in Neuburg an der Donau. It is equipped with a turbocharger, an energy recovery system (ERS) and an electric motor (MGU-K). The development center, which combines Sauber's existing workshops in Switzerland and a new technology center in Bicester, England, is also responsible for developing the gearbox that will accompany the unit.
The electrical component is taking up more and more space in Formula 1 – the electric motor provides up to 50% of the total power of the power unit. But the technical basis, obviously, is still the heat engine. And from 2026 it will have to run on completely renewable fuel, or electronic fuelwhich requires teams to create a full development program. Audi says it has worked to develop such a fuel that meets the series criteria in cooperation with oil company BP, and has been doing so since 2022.
The spearhead of the new Audi identity
With growing popularity fueled by a whole new class of listeners acquired thanks to the Netflix series. Drive to surviveFormula 1 is becoming an increasingly attractive forum for manufacturers wishing to increase their brand awareness. In the case of Audi, we also want to showcase the new brand colors to a wider range of customers beyond performance enthusiasts. Finally, the benefits of developing new technologies are significant and benefit the participating manufacturer's production vehicles.
Photo: Audi
The future Audi F1 team will make its public debut in January during the official presentation of the cars in their final version. The first tests will take place behind closed doors at the end of January in Barcelona, Spain. The manufacturer has scheduled public testing in Bahrain from February 11 to 13 and February 18 to 20, before attending the first calendar event in Melbourne, Australia from March 6 to 8.
