Audi became the first Formula 1 team to test its 2026 challenger on track, and in the process shared a first glimpse of the impending noise that will soundtrack grands prix this season. Now, team boss Jonathan Wheatley hailed the new engine note of the cars as “really good”.
For 2026, F1 will roll out new power units that use a near-50:50 split in power developed by the internal combustion engine and the electrical components. This marks an increase in reliance on electrical energy from the last generation of hybrid cars, which were slammed by drivers and fans for the sound they made while racing.
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Members of the Audi team have now spoken out about the improvement in engine noise that fans can expect in 2026 during a launch event for its first F1 racer – the R26.
“One thing I would say that was evident from our shakedown, and maybe it’s just a one-off, but the engine sounds really good,” Wheatley told reporters at Audi’s 2026 season launch event.
“You know, this generation of engine, and I’ve seen a bit of Instagram stuff of other teams, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the engine sounds more aggressive.”
Audi F1 Team R26 livery
Photo by: Audi
One aspect that could influence the noise made by engines in F1 2026 is the removal of the MGU-H, which generated electrical energy from the heat in exhaust gasses as they were expelled from the power unit. As the exhaust systems have a big impact on the sound of a car, this could explain the change, as F1 will still use V6 internal combustion engine units.
Whatever has caused the change in tone, Audi racer Gabriel Bortoleto is also a fan of the new noise coming from the rear of his car.
“It feels nicer than last year, for sure,” the Brazilian racer said at the Audi launch in Berlin. “When you are driving, you are focusing on driving, but definitely when I turned on the car and I left the garage, it felt like, I definitely got emotional there. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s an incredible moment, this is going to be history’.”
Team-mate Nico Hulkenberg echoed that the new power units sounded “a bit different”, but refrained from sharing his full judgement of the engines until he had clocked up some more serious miles.
Audi will be one of five power unit manufacturers on the grid in 2026, alongside Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and the newly-launched Red Bull-Ford venture.
Ferrari, Honda and Mercedes all shared teasers of their new engine sounds when the power units were fired up in the factory, while Cadillac’s recent shakedown test at Silverstone offered a glimpse of the Ferrari engine running on track.
Photos from Audi launch
Audi launch, in photos
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