Audi F1 Team Revolut

CEO/Founder: Gernot Döllner
Team Chief: Jonathan Wheatley
Technical Chief: Mattia Binotto
Sports Director: Inaki Rueda

Chassis 2026: R26

Engine: Audi
Tyre: Pirelli

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Reserve Driver: -

2026 Season

Audi enters the 2026 season after taking over the legacy of Kick Sauber, which finished the 2025 Constructors' Championship in ninth place with 70 points. Despite the final position, the season proved useful in building momentum towards the official Formula 1 debut of the Ingolstadt manufacturer. From a sporting perspective, the driver line-up remains unchanged, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto continuing together from the final phase of the 2025 project. The real transformation, however, is structural: the team now becomes a fully-fledged Audi works operation. At management level, Mattia Binotto leads the project and also serves as Team Principal following Jonathan Wheatley's departure, while the industrial expansion of the programme remains one of the key elements of this new chapter. Expectations for 2026 are inevitably not yet those of an immediate title contender, but rather of a team aiming to establish itself firmly in the midfield while laying solid foundations to become a leading force in the medium term.

Car

From a technical perspective, Audi's 2026 Formula 1 car is the Audi R26, the manufacturer's first car in the championship, powered by the AFR 26 Hybrid power unit developed in-house by Audi Formula Racing GmbH in Neuburg. The German manufacturer has explained that the project has been built around the new 2026 regulations, featuring a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 combined with a much more significant electrical component, the removal of the MGU-H and the introduction of sustainable fuel. The cars are also fundamentally different from an aerodynamic perspective, with active wings, a more compact overall package and energy management playing an even greater role in overall performance.

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History
 

Audi in Formula 1: from its historic roots to the works project (2022-2025)

The Audi F1 project represents one of the most significant industrial commitments in recent motorsport history. It is far more than a sponsorship programme, with Audi entering Formula 1 as a full works manufacturer through the progressive acquisition of Sauber Motorsport and the in-house development of its own Power Unit in Neuburg an der Donau.

The Silver Arrows legacy: Auto Union and Audi's racing DNA

Although the Audi name officially makes its Formula 1 World Championship debut in 2026, its motorsport roots reach back to the pioneering Grand Prix era of the 1930s. Auto Union, one of the four companies represented by Audi's famous four rings, challenged Mercedes with its legendary Silver Arrows designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Those cars introduced radical innovations such as the mid-rear engine layout, a configuration that would only become standard in Formula 1 decades later. This historic heritage forms an important part of Audi's identity as it enters the modern championship.

Corporate transition: the Binotto era and the full takeover

A crucial stage in the project came with the restructuring of Audi's Formula 1 leadership during the summer of 2024. The programme initially went through a period of management turbulence that resulted in the departures of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann. The turning point came with the appointment of Mattia Binotto as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer, followed by the recruitment of Jonathan Wheatley as Team Principal. The new structure accelerated the integration between the Swiss base in Hinwil, responsible for the chassis, and the German Audi Formula Racing GmbH operation responsible for the power unit. Audi subsequently completed the acquisition of 100% of Sauber during 2025.

Development of the 2026 Power Unit in Neuburg

The heart of the project lies at Audi's technology centre in Neuburg an der Donau. Here, the manufacturer has developed a power unit in accordance with the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, which introduce an almost equal split between internal combustion engine power and the electrical component, with the MGU-K producing up to 350 kW. The use of 100% sustainable fuels was one of the decisive factors behind Audi's commitment to Formula 1, aligning the racing programme with the Volkswagen Group's wider decarbonisation objectives.

2025 season: Kick Sauber's revival with Hülkenberg and Bortoleto

The 2025 championship represented the final "on-track laboratory" before the definitive rebranding. Under Binotto's technical leadership, Kick Sauber showed a clear recovery compared with the difficult 2024 season. The decision to combine the experience of Nico Hülkenberg with the talent of young Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto paid off in terms of consistency. The team finished the season ninth with 70 points, with the total boosted by an unexpected podium that provided a major morale boost for the Hinwil operation. The result confirmed that the transition towards a full factory-team structure was beginning to stabilise both operational processes and aerodynamic development.

Towards 2026: the identity of a factory team

By the end of 2025, the organisation was ready for its final transformation. The Audi F1 Team identity was now firmly established, combining German engineering and manufacturing expertise with the operational experience of the Swiss organisation. The challenge for 2026 remains highly ambitious: to compete with Formula 1's established manufacturers from the outset while benefiting from the opportunity to develop the Power Unit in close integration with the chassis, a technical advantage available to only a small number of teams on the grid.

2026 Season

Audi enters the 2026 season after taking over the legacy of Kick Sauber, which finished the 2025 Constructors' Championship in ninth place with 70 points. Despite the final position, the season proved useful in building momentum towards the official Formula 1 debut of the Ingolstadt manufacturer. From a sporting perspective, the driver line-up remains unchanged, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto continuing together from the final phase of the 2025 project. The real transformation, however, is structural: the team now becomes a fully-fledged Audi works operation. At management level, Mattia Binotto leads the project and also serves as Team Principal following Jonathan Wheatley's departure, while the industrial expansion of the programme remains one of the key elements of this new chapter. Expectations for 2026 are inevitably not yet those of an immediate title contender, but rather of a team aiming to establish itself firmly in the midfield while laying solid foundations to become a leading force in the medium term.

Car

From a technical perspective, Audi's 2026 Formula 1 car is the Audi R26, the manufacturer's first car in the championship, powered by the AFR 26 Hybrid power unit developed in-house by Audi Formula Racing GmbH in Neuburg. The German manufacturer has explained that the project has been built around the new 2026 regulations, featuring a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 combined with a much more significant electrical component, the removal of the MGU-H and the introduction of sustainable fuel. The cars are also fundamentally different from an aerodynamic perspective, with active wings, a more compact overall package and energy management playing an even greater role in overall performance.

---

History
 

Audi in Formula 1: from its historic roots to the works project (2022-2025)

The Audi F1 project represents one of the most significant industrial commitments in recent motorsport history. It is far more than a sponsorship programme, with Audi entering Formula 1 as a full works manufacturer through the progressive acquisition of Sauber Motorsport and the in-house development of its own Power Unit in Neuburg an der Donau.

The Silver Arrows legacy: Auto Union and Audi's racing DNA

Although the Audi name officially makes its Formula 1 World Championship debut in 2026, its motorsport roots reach back to the pioneering Grand Prix era of the 1930s. Auto Union, one of the four companies represented by Audi's famous four rings, challenged Mercedes with its legendary Silver Arrows designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Those cars introduced radical innovations such as the mid-rear engine layout, a configuration that would only become standard in Formula 1 decades later. This historic heritage forms an important part of Audi's identity as it enters the modern championship.

Corporate transition: the Binotto era and the full takeover

A crucial stage in the project came with the restructuring of Audi's Formula 1 leadership during the summer of 2024. The programme initially went through a period of management turbulence that resulted in the departures of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann. The turning point came with the appointment of Mattia Binotto as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer, followed by the recruitment of Jonathan Wheatley as Team Principal. The new structure accelerated the integration between the Swiss base in Hinwil, responsible for the chassis, and the German Audi Formula Racing GmbH operation responsible for the power unit. Audi subsequently completed the acquisition of 100% of Sauber during 2025.

Development of the 2026 Power Unit in Neuburg

The heart of the project lies at Audi's technology centre in Neuburg an der Donau. Here, the manufacturer has developed a power unit in accordance with the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, which introduce an almost equal split between internal combustion engine power and the electrical component, with the MGU-K producing up to 350 kW. The use of 100% sustainable fuels was one of the decisive factors behind Audi's commitment to Formula 1, aligning the racing programme with the Volkswagen Group's wider decarbonisation objectives.

2025 season: Kick Sauber's revival with Hülkenberg and Bortoleto

The 2025 championship represented the final "on-track laboratory" before the definitive rebranding. Under Binotto's technical leadership, Kick Sauber showed a clear recovery compared with the difficult 2024 season. The decision to combine the experience of Nico Hülkenberg with the talent of young Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto paid off in terms of consistency. The team finished the season ninth with 70 points, with the total boosted by an unexpected podium that provided a major morale boost for the Hinwil operation. The result confirmed that the transition towards a full factory-team structure was beginning to stabilise both operational processes and aerodynamic development.

Towards 2026: the identity of a factory team

By the end of 2025, the organisation was ready for its final transformation. The Audi F1 Team identity was now firmly established, combining German engineering and manufacturing expertise with the operational experience of the Swiss organisation. The challenge for 2026 remains highly ambitious: to compete with Formula 1's established manufacturers from the outset while benefiting from the opportunity to develop the Power Unit in close integration with the chassis, a technical advantage available to only a small number of teams on the grid.

First race:

Gran Premio del Sud Africa 1993

First victory:

Year	Chassis	Engine	Points
2026	Sauber R26	Audi	23
2024	Sauber C44	Ferrari	4
2023	Sauber C43	Ferrari	16
2022	Sauber C42	Ferrari 066/7	55
2021	Sauber C41	Ferrari 065/6	13
2020	Sauber C39	Ferrari	8
2019	Sauber C38	Ferrari 064	57
2018	Sauber C37	Alfa Romeo	48
2017	Sauber C36	Ferrari 2016	5
2016	Sauber C35	Ferrari	2
2015	Sauber C34	Ferrari	36
2013	Sauber C32	Ferrari 056	57
2012	Sauber C31	Ferrari 056	126
2011	Sauber C30	Ferrari 056	44
2010	Sauber C29	Ferrari 056	44
2005	Sauber C24	Petronas 05A	20
2004	Sauber C23	Petronas 04A	34
2003	Sauber C22	Petronas 03A	19
2002	Sauber C21	Petronas 02A	11
2001	Sauber C20	Ferrari 049	21
2000	Sauber C19	Petronas SPE 04A	6
1999	Sauber C18	Petronas SPE 03A	5

* Season with at least 1 point won (since 2000)

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