GALLERY: Audi\u2019s 2026 F1 car<\/a><\/p>\nAudi CEO Gernot Dollner was joined on stage by head of the Audi F1 project Mattia Binotto, team principal Jonathan Wheatley, and drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, who continue together after racing for the Hinwil-based squad in its final season under the Sauber name in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday marks more than a launch; it marks the public declaration of a new era for Audi,\u201d Dollner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFormula 1 is the most demanding stage in the world of motorsport, and we are here not just to compete, but to define the future of \u2018Vorsprung durch Technik.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project is a catalyst for our entire company, a symbol of our transformation towards a more performance-driven, efficient, and innovative culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur philosophy is one of absolute, long-term commitment. We understand that success in Formula 1 demands relentless perseverance and Audi Revolut F1 Team is not here to make up the numbers; we aim to be fighting for the World Championship by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n
The launch also marked the first full reveal of Audi Revolut F1 Team\u2019s visual identity, with the R26\u2019s Titanium finish, exposed carbon fibre and Lava Red accents forming the centrepiece of a broader design philosophy that will extend across team apparel, the paddock and garage environment.<\/p>\n
While the spectacle underscored Audi\u2019s ambition, Wheatley was clear that success will be built through a long-term process rather than immediate results.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not here to mess around. We have a journey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an ambitious journey, and we\u2019re humble. We know where we\u2019re starting from, but we know where we want to go, and we want to get this team ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want Audi Formula 1 team to be the most successful Formula 1 team in history.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we have to start where we are, and there\u2019s a journey. We have measurable milestones on that journey, and we\u2019re excited to start it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we\u2019re starting it today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Binotto highlighted Audi\u2019s fully integrated approach as the foundation of that journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe strategic decision to enter Formula 1 as a full works team is our single greatest asset,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have spent the last few years meticulously building not just a power unit in Neuburg but laying the foundations for a technical organisation that binds our chassis development in Hinwil and Bicester.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis seamless integration gives us total control over our destiny, eliminating compromises and enabling a level of agility and innovation that is essential for success.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what makes Audi Revolut F1 Team one vision, controlling every variable from the engine block to the front wing.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Hulkenberg, the Berlin launch reinforced the seriousness behind Audi\u2019s Formula 1 push.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving been in the Formula 1 paddock for many years, you learn to distinguish between ambition and capability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I feel here today is a profound seriousness and an incredible energy that sets this team apart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bortoleto added representing Audi at the start of its Formula 1 journey carried both responsibility and motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo race for the Four Rings, a brand that has such an iconic and victorious history in motorsport is, quite simply, a dream come true,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the opportunity of a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audi has already completed an initial 2026-spec filming day in Barcelona and will join the private Barcelona test next week, before its car hits the track again for pre-season testing in Bahrain in February.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/285249.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Audi have revealed their first ever F1 car, the R26. Image: Audi
Held at Kraftwerk Berlin,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":243313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[117212,99765,111,139,110620,69,1058,213],"class_list":["post-243312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-audi-f1","tag-gabriel-bortoleto","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nico-hulkenberg","tag-nz","tag-slot1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Audi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A260229_large-e1768935831743.jpg\")