Audi unveils F1 car for 2026, aims to win championships by 2030
Audi enters F1 amid the sport's most radical rule changes in 12 years.
Image: AFP
Audi, which will make its Formula One debut this season after acquiring the Sauber team, unveiled its first modern single-seater on Tuesday evening and declared its ambition to "win championships by 2030".
The livery of the car, named the Audi R26, features a predominantly grey colour scheme and displays the four rings of the German brand's logo in red on its rear wing and was designed to be "the most elegant and striking on the grid."
Last year's Sauber drivers, Nico Huelkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, will remain at the team in 2026 following the rebranding.
The Audi Revolut F1 car was presented to the public on January 20, ahead of its entry into the 2026 Formula One season.
Image: Tobias Schwarz / AFP
"The 2026 regulations created the perfect moment to enter Formula 1," said Italian Mattia Binotto, the project's chief.
Team principal Jonathan Wheatley added, "This car is the physical embodiment of thousands of hours of hard work from a hugely talented group of people across our facilities.
"Today, we start this journey with immense pride, but also with humility. This is just day one of a long campaign. Our mission is to embed a championship DNA into every fibre of this team.
"A culture of resilience, precision, and relentless curiosity where we stop at nothing to find performance. For everyone here, the excitement comes from this challenge: to build a team that gets stronger with every lap, every debrief, and every race. We will turn our long-term ambition into on-track reality, day by day, decision by decision."
Like the other ten F1 teams, this new car will make its track debut next week during closed-door tests at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit.
The 2026 Formula One season will usher in a new era for the sport, with the most comprehensive regulation overhaul since the turbo-hybrid rules reshaped the grid in 2014.
The competitive order could certainly be reshuffled, thanks to new power units, radically altered aerodynamics, an expanded grid of 11 teams and a full 24-race calendar.
From 2026, power delivery will be split almost evenly between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. Electrical output will increase significantly, while the complex MGU-H system used in 2025 is removed entirely.
Furthermore, the cars will now be smaller and lighter, with reduced length and width. Aerodynamics have been simplified, replacing complex winglets and floor designs with cleaner surfaces to reduce turbulent air. Ground-effect is retained but produces less extreme downforce, improving the potential for closer racing.
AFP & IOL