- Audi has revealed a preview of its likely look in Formula 1 next year.
- The R26 Concept previews the colour palette and design of the of the Audi F1 Team's livery.
- The Audi F1 Team will make its race debut at the Melbourne Grand Prix in March 2026.
Audi has provided a preview of its future Formula 1 design philosophy through the display of the Audi R26 Concept F1 car at the company's Brand Experience Centre.
The company says the R26 Concept serves as a "concrete statement" and offers a look at the anticipated colour scheme and overall design aesthetic for the brand’s first Formula 1 race car, which is scheduled for an official unveiling in January 2026.
"By entering the pinnacle of motorsport, Audi is making a clear, ambitious statement,” said 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."
Audi Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella said that the F1 project acts as a pioneer for a new brand identity, and the R26 Concept is characterised as one of the first public expressions of a new visual approach, which will subsequently be rolled out across the F1 team and Audi operations globally.
The concept's visual elements include "minimalist graphic surfaces" defined by "precise geometric cuts" that integrate directly with the racing car’s geometry, finished in a colour palette featuring titanium, carbon black, and the "newly introduced Audi red".
Since late 2022, Audi has been developing its 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine for Formula 1 in Neuburg an der Donau – the only operational location of an F1 team in Germany. The V6 ICE will work with an energy recovery system (ERS) including energy storage (ES) and an electric motor generator unit (MGU-K), as well as an electronic control unit (CU-K).
The new technical regulations for F1 powertrains focus on greater road-car relevance with a new hybrid concept. The output of the electric motor has been tripled and will in future be on a comparable level with the combustion engine, which will be powered by sustainable fuels from 2026. Audi has been working exclusively with the British company BP on this since 2022.
The team will develop and build the cars at its F1 Factory in Hinwil, Switzerland, and the future Audi F1 team will make its full public debut at the official team launch in January 2026. Following private testing in January, the team will test in public for the first time at Bahrain in mid-February, before its debut in the pinnacle of motorsport takes place at the Melbourne Grand Prix on the 6th to 8th of March.
