Audi says it is aiming to challenge for the 2030 F1 world title after unveiling a R26 concept car for next year.
At a launch event in Munich the German marque presented its new visual identity for 2026, including a silver, red and black concept livery for what is dubbed the R26 Concept, a preview of Audi’s first F1 challenger for the brand-new technical regulations following its Sauber takeover.
Audi first announced in 2022 it would join F1 and initially acquired a 25% stake in Sauber, before completely taking over the squad ahead of a full 2026 rebrand. It has since sold a minority share to Qatar’s sovereign wealth front to help with the upfront cost of revamping the Swiss outfit and starting up Audi’s in-house F1 power unit programme in Neuburg.
Audi CEO Gernot Doellner says the German manufacturer is targeting a world championship bid from 2030 onwards, while also “having ambitions” for its first years in the series.
“The next two years we will be challengers,” said Doellner, who was joined at the event by the team’s CTO and COO Mattia Binotto, team principal Jonathan Wheatley and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Audi F1 Team RS26 concept livery
Photo by: Audi Sport
“We have to improve from where we are today and have ambitions also for 2026 and 2027. These years are the challenger years. And from 2028 on, we want to become real competitors and then from 2030 on fight for the championship.
Former Ferrari F1 team principal and power unit specialist Binotto says Audi’s decision to develop both its car and power unit in-house will give the team a “competitive advantage” over F1’s customers teams.
“In order to become successful and a winning team in the future, yes, it may add complexity, but it’s a requirement,” Binotto said. “Having the full control on both the chassis and the power unit gives you a competitive advantage, a technical advantage.
“And because for Audi it’s not only about participating, but about winning, it was a given, I would say. So we accept the complexity because we have a clear ambition.”
Team boss Wheatley feels that the current Sauber team, which suffered a dismal 2024 campaign, already has a spring in its step after major improvements brought it back into F1’s tight midfield this year.
Audi F1 Team RS26 concept livery
Photo by: Audi Sport
“I was hugely encouraged by what I found, which was a much younger team than I expected with a more open mind than I expected that already had started the journey towards becoming a competitive F1 team rather than an achievement being to get two cars to a race every Sunday,” the former Red Bull sporting director said.
“We’re in a transformation process now. Audi’s investment and belief in the team is extraordinary, and the team feels it. Every single day we can feel the progress we’re making and the team’s starting to believe in itself now, and this is so important in terms of building momentum and moving forward.
“If you want a manifestation of that, the team almost performed the incredible in Brazil last weekend in building a brand new car for Gabriel [Bortoleto, who crashed in the sprint race] in an incredibly short period of time.
“This team would not have been able to do that a year ago and that doesn’t come from tools or investment, that comes from spirit that comes from team believing in itself.”
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