Audi’s Striking 2026 F1 Livery Is Here Audi F1
After half a decade of stagnant grids without any major team changes, Formula 1 is about to get two big new automakers at once. One is Cadillac, the American entrant building a new team from the ground up alongside the TWG Motorsports group behind IndyCar stalwarts Andretti Global. The other, Audi, is taking over operations previously run by the long-time privateers at Sauber. Audi, which is also a new engine constructor starting next season, gave the world a preview of its 2026 Formula 1 car in concept form on Wednesday.
The German luxury automaker calls this car the R26 Concept, and it is notably not the same thing as a 2026 car unveiling. Showcase of the final car will come in January, as the brand’s new factory team prepares to test in advance of its first season in Audi colors. For now, this is just a preview of the team’s basic livery on a car meant to resemble a 2026 F1 racer.
Audi F1
A relatively soft metallic silver dominates most of the Audi livery, while big chunks of orange and black in blocky, geometric shapes fill out the rest of the design. The look is both striking and unique among modern F1 liveries, which generally follow the shape of the car with their own black and secondary color accents. This version of the Audi is clean and elegant, but you can expect the final livery to be less simple as it integrates numbers, associate sponsorships, and other decals that eventually make their way onto any modern race car.
Since the 2026 season will be the first under a new rule set, the concept also provides a key look at what a ’26 Formula 1 design could be. Final versions of individual racers may look very different in reality, as teams often interpret new regulations in very different ways. For all we know, Audi may try something as radical on its final car as the “Zero sidepod” concept that Mercedes experimented with in 2022 and 2023.
Audi F1
The livery reveal is not the only bold declaration being made by Audi today. Program head and former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said in an accompanying release that the brand has a goal “to fight for championships in 2030,” an ambitious goal that leaves the team just four seasons to get up to speed. The timeline is not impossible, though. Red Bull finished second in the constructor’s standings in its own fifth season after taking over the former Jaguar F1 team. It won its first constructor’s title one year later—the first of six to date.
The Audi F1 team will debut at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix in March. As the first year of a new set of engine regulations, it will also mark a number of other key debuts. These include standalone Honda powertrains in Aston Martin’s two cars, Ford-backed Red Bull Powertrains units built without any help from Honda in the four cars affiliated with the energy drink company, and new Mercedes engines in the back of Alpine’s currently Renault-powered cars. Cadillac will also be making its first start, running with Ferrari power for its first few seasons before GM’s own ambitious engine-building plans come on line in 2029.