Audi F1's sleek and clean 2026 livery divides opinion online

The Audi Formula 1 team unveiled its 2026 livery during an event in Berlin on 20 January.

The striking new livery features a predominantly metallic grey design, reminiscent of the German marque’s iconic Nardo Grey, with red and black accents.

Fans have shared their verdicts on social media, with many pointing to the lack of sponsors consuming real estate on the design. “There’s beauty in simplicity and understatement. I love it personally,” one fan commented on Reddit, while another added: “I beg to differ, I absolutely love how it is not oversaturated with ads, and how clean it looks.”

Others were more puzzled by the lack of branding involved. “Is it me or is that not a lot of sponsors?” someone posted, while another responded: “They’re a new team and have some pretty big sponsors already. They’ll probably continue signing a bunch more through the season.”

“More sponsors on Hulkenberg’s helmet than the car,” wrote another Reddit user.

Overall, the livery design seems to have drawn a mixed response from viewers. “You can barely see the sponsors. It’s gorgeous!!!” added one fan, and someone else commented: “Neat. Tidy. German. I like it.”

“I’m glad someone else has said it. Reddit expects every car to look like a friggin’ tattoo sleeve. Less is more, and it completely fits Audi’s brand,” wrote another approving commenter.

Audi’s reveal followed the unveiling of the Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Haas liveries, which led one fan to brand the German team’s design as “underwhelming”.

“After Haas, RBR, and RB, I have to say that this livery is pretty underwhelming. Looks like a default design in the F1 game,” they wrote, and another added: “Exact same as the concept one. Surely they could have come up with something a bit more exciting.”

The next 2026 livery reveal will come from Mercedes on 22 January.

Photos from Audi launchAudi F1 Team R26 livery