Audi F1 Entry: New Era for Formula 1 and the Brand
One hundred fifteen days before its first race in Formula 1, Audi showcased how the brand will appear in the pinnacle of motorsport at its Brand Experience Centre in Munich. Just as in its future production models, Audi will bring uncompromising clarity to the racetrack and beyond as it prepares the Audi Formula 1 team for competition.
“By entering the pinnacle of motorsport, Audi is making a clear, ambitious statement,” says Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. “It is the next chapter in the company’s renewal. Formula 1 will be a catalyst for the change towards a leaner, faster and more innovative Audi.” According to Döllner, Audi is entering the racing series with an ambitious yet realistic roadmap: “We are not entering Formula 1 just to be there. We want to win. At the same time, we know that you don’t become a top team in Formula 1 overnight. It takes time, perseverance and tireless questioning of the status quo. By 2030, we want to fight for the World Championship title.” With this target in mind, Audi positions its Formula 1 project as a core driver of the company’s broader transformation.
Audi will use its Formula 1 team to spearhead a new brand identity. The Audi R26 Concept acts as a clear statement and previews the colour scheme and design of the brand’s first Formula 1 race car, which will appear in January. This visual identity builds on the recently introduced design philosophy with its four design principles: clear, technical, intelligent and emotional. “We are implementing a unifying design language that draws together every aspect of our organisation, "said Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella. “This makes the Formula 1 project a pioneer for the new brand identity, which will be rolled out in the future both for the F1 team and Audi as a whole.”
The R26 Concept ranks among the first expressions of the brand’s new visual identity. Minimalist graphic surfaces, defined by precise geometric cuts, integrate seamlessly with the racing car’s geometry and underline Audi’s F1 ambitions. The colour palette features titanium, carbon black and the newly introduced Audi red. As part of this identity, Audi will also use red rings selectively to underscore its Formula 1 presence and to make the Audi F1 car instantly recognisable at the track.
The Formula 1 project serves as a strategic flagship for Audi, reflecting the brand's technological, cultural, and entrepreneurial reinvention and its future in premium performance mobility. It aims to inspire customers and employees alike. Development and racing take place within an economically attractive framework, because a cost cap for all teams sets a clearly defined budget and conditions. At the same time, Formula 1's global reach delivers intense brand exposure and sponsorship potential for the Audi Formula 1 team.
Formula 1 has operated as a globally established sports platform for decades and, with more than 820 million fans, ranks as the world’s most popular motorsport series. In 2024, around 1.6 billion television viewers watched the races. Investors now value Formula 1 teams in the billions. The future Audi F1 team already counts three global corporations as partners: adidas, bp, and future title partner Revolut, and further companies are showing strong interest in supporting Audi in Formula 1 as the programme gains momentum.
To enter Formula 1, Audi acquired the Sauber Group in Switzerland in its entirety at the beginning of this year, creating the conditions to bring Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund on board as an investor in the new works team. At the helm of the Audi F1 Project are two experienced Formula 1 managers: former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley (formerly of Red Bull), who report directly to Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. In terms of drivers, the company relies on a mix of experience and youthful energy, with seasoned racing driver Nico Hülkenberg of Germany and young talent Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil, giving the Audi Formula 1 team a balanced, competitive lineup.
“Formula 1 is more than just motorsport,” says Jürgen Rittersberger, CFO of AUDI AG. “It’s entertainment, emotion, technology – and also a challenge. But it is precisely this combination that takes us where we want to go: inspiring new customer groups for Audi. With the enormous reach of Formula 1, we have the opportunity to attract new customers for our brand – especially in the younger target group, where Formula 1 is experiencing rapid growth. Thanks to the cost cap, Formula 1 is also more financially sustainable than ever before. When we look at the development of sponsorship opportunities, team evaluations, and the overall revenue potential in Formula 1, one thing becomes clear: This path makes perfect sense for Audi – also economically.” With this, Audi presents Formula 1 as both a marketing platform and a commercially viable investment.
Motorsport forms part of Audi’s DNA and has always driven technological progress and innovation across the brand’s road cars. From the first mid-engine Grand Prix car to quattro all-wheel drive in rallying, to diesel, hybrid, and electric powertrains at Le Mans, in Formula E, and at the Dakar Rally, Audi has led every motorsport project to success with determination, courage, perseverance, and team spirit, consistently pioneering new ground. Audi intends its Formula 1 involvement to build on this motorsport heritage and to extend the “Vorsprung durch Technik” philosophy into the highest level of single-seater racing.
The pinnacle of motorsport counts as one of the toughest test laboratories in the world. Short development cycles, minimal chains of command and quick decisions provide a model for the entire company and its engineering culture. At the same time, Audi stays close to the latest technological developments and materials through the intense competition of the Formula 1 grid. Thanks to open competition, Formula 1 serves as a technology driver for both electric mobility and sustainable e-fuels, two areas of high relevance to Audi production models. In these fields, the regulations offer significant freedom and scope for innovation, allowing the Audi F1 powertrain to showcase road-relevant solutions.
Far-reaching changes to Formula 1's technical regulations from 2026 onwards create an ideal opportunity for Audi, as a newcomer, to enter the pinnacle of motorsport on a more level playing field. All competitors must familiarise themselves with new regulations and technologies simultaneously, across both chassis and drivetrain. Audi plans to use this regulatory reset to establish the Audi Formula 1 team as a long-term contender in the World Championship.
Since spring 2022, Audi has been developing the power unit for Formula 1 in Neuburg an der Donau, the only operational location of an F1 team in Germany. The unit consists of a V6 internal combustion engine with a displacement of 1.6 litres and turbocharging, an energy recovery system including energy storage and an electric motor generator unit MGU-K, as well as an electronic control unit CU-K. In addition to the power unit, engineers in Neuburg also develop the gearbox. Together with the power unit, these components form the powertrain for the Audi Formula 1 car. The new technical regulations for F1 powertrains focus on greater road-car relevance through a new hybrid concept. The electric motor's output has been tripled and will, in future, sit on a similar level to the combustion engine, which will run on sustainable fuels from 2026. Audi has worked exclusively with the British company BP on these fuels since 2022.
Concept development for the F1 powertrain made in Germany began in 2022. Just two years later, the complete powertrain ran dynamically as a unit for the first time in a race simulation on the test bench. Virtual simulations and digital development tools play a vital role because regulations prevent teams from testing new powertrains on a racetrack until early 2026. As in Audi product development, dynamic driving simulators, digital tools and advanced methods shape the development process for the Audi F1 powertrain. The first power units for use on the racetrack have now been completed and will ship from Neuburg an der Donau to their respective locations starting in December.
The team develops and builds the race cars at the F1 Factory in Hinwil. The Swiss location also plans and executes race operations for the Audi Formula 1 team throughout the season. In addition, a technology office has been operating in Bicester, United Kingdom, since the summer of 2025. This presence in the so-called Motorsport Valley gives the team access to additional F1 expertise and a dense supplier network. The locations work together in intensive technical cooperation to fully exploit the advantages and opportunities of a factory team through seamless integration of the power unit and chassis.
The future Audi F1 team will make its full public debut at the official team launch in January 2026. Shortly afterwards, the first official test drives with the new-generation Formula 1 cars will take place at the end of January at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, initially behind closed doors. During further tests in Bahrain from 11 to 13 February and 18 to 20 February, the Audi factory team will run in Formula 1 in front of the public for the first time, before the brand’s eagerly awaited debut in the pinnacle of motorsport takes place in Melbourne, Australia, from 6 to 8 March. With this first race, Audi in Formula 1 will move from vision to reality and begin its campaign to fight for future World Championship titles.
