Audi F1 snapped up one of the most exciting junior drivers around for its first academy signing, welcoming in Freddie Slater.<\/p>\n
Already a multi-time champion, Slater saw \u201cthe right people\u201d at Audi, and a favourable probability when it comes to realising his Formula 1 ambitions, convincing him to sign on the dotted line.<\/p>\n
Freddie Slater: Audi F1 driver programme \u2018right choice\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Audi has hit the F1 grid in 2026 via its takeover of Sauber. That also saw Audi inherit what was the Sauber driver academy, morphing it into the Audi Driver Development Programme.<\/p>\n The German marque went big with its first signing in Slater, the 17-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, who is carving out quite a reputation on the junior ladder.<\/p>\n He beat the record previously held by Mercedes\u2019 Kimi Antonelli for most wins in an Italian F4 season, taking 15 of the 21 races as he stormed to the 2024 title.<\/p>\n Slater also claimed the F4 UAE crown that year, and followed up by becoming 2025 Formula Regional European Champion at the first attempt.<\/p>\n Slater made three Formula 3 appearances in 2025, reaching the podium on debut with a P2 in Bahrain. For 2026, he steps up to the series full-time, racing with Trident.<\/p>\n Previously, Slater had not aligned himself with any of the F1 teams\u2019 academies, as many of the top prospects often do.<\/p>\n But that has changed. Slater signed with Audi in January, becoming the first ever signee to its Driver Development Programme.<\/p>\n Slater was asked by PlanetF1.com what it was about the Audi project which convinced him to join.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it was just the right choice. It was the right people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, probability is a big thing of joining an academy, I guess, as well, for getting into Formula 1, because there\u2019s only 22 seats, and also, they\u2019re not always open.<\/p>\n \u201cSo at the end of the day, it\u2019s probability, and also the right people around you. Obviously you\u2019ve got very cool people like Alan McNish [Audi Driver Development Programme team principal], people like this, which are very special people.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were many key reasons why we joined them, and can\u2019t wait to start building my future with them.\u201d<\/p>\n More on the junior ladder to F1 via PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n F1 2026 risks choking the Formula 1 talent pipeline<\/a><\/p>\n Audi confirms Freddie Slater as first signing of new F1 driver programme<\/a><\/p>\n Trident has enjoyed a strong run in F3 in recent seasons. The last three Drivers\u2019 champions, Gabriel Bortoleto, Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael C\u00e2mara, all won the title driving for the squad.<\/p>\n Bortoleto now finds himself racing for the Audi F1 team alongside Nico Hulkenberg.<\/p>\n Slater made it clear that no expectations have been placed upon him, as Audi knows \u201cevery time I go out on track, I\u2019m trying to do the best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that he is \u201charder on myself than anyone else,\u201d and Audi \u201cknow I can deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n Slater laid down a daunting marker in F3 pre-season testing. He topped day one of the Barcelona test by more than three tenths, and was fastest by the same margin on day two.<\/p>\n Th\u00e9ophile Nael of Campos took over as the pacesetter on the final day.<\/p>\n \u201cHard to say if we\u2019re surprised or not,\u201d he said of his efforts. \u201cI knew we were in a good place, but I didn\u2019t expect to maybe be as fast as we were.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I think, honestly, I did quite a good job in myself, and I was pretty happy with the way I drove and the way I did complete my lap.<\/p>\n \u201cSo honestly, it was quite a strong test for myself, and also from the team. The team gave me a great car straight away to try to improve my driving straight away, because at the end of the day, every lap counts, and if we don\u2019t make the most of it now, we\u2019re going to get to Melbourne and be unprepared. So it\u2019s very important to be on it straight away.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the test went well. It was very productive, and I look forward to Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n The opening round of the F3 season takes place in Melbourne from 6-8 March, on the same weekend that F1 2026 gets underway at Albert Park.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n