Audi R26 Concept is a preview of its 2026 debut F1 challenger
As the 2025 Formula 1 season draws to a close, Audi has given fans a glimpse of what is to come in 2026 with a preview of its F1 challenger.
The finished car is set to be unveiled in January, and although it will look a little different from what we see here, its visual identity is based on Audi’s recently introduced design philosophy. This comprises four design principles - clear, technical, intelligent and emotional - which the F1 car will “pioneer for the new brand identity” before being rolled out across “Audi as a whole.”
So, how have these principles been applied to the R26 Concept? Minimalist graphic surfaces led by ‘precise geometric cuts’ are combined with a colour palette featuring titanium, carbon black and the newly introduced Audi red. The F1 car will also be distinguished from production Audis by sporting red rings instead of the standard silver.
“By 2030, we want to fight for the World Championship title”
To enter Formula 1, Audi acquired the Sauber Group and its F1 team in its entirety at the start of 2025, with Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund coming on board as an investor. Former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto and ex-Red Bull man Jonathan Wheatley have been brought in to run the newly formed F1 team, and will report to Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, who outlined the team’s ambitious targets for the future.
Döllner said: “We are not entering Formula 1 just to be there. We want to win. At the same time, we know that you don’t become a top team in Formula 1 overnight. It takes time, perseverance and tireless questioning of the status quo. By 2030, we want to fight for the World Championship title.”
Current Sauber duo Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will be Audi's first driver lineup, with the 2026 F1 season also seeing the introduction of new regulations that the FIA hopes will “define the sport” and lead to “closer racing”. Audi will be joined on the grid by fellow newcomers Cadillac, who, in August, announced the signings of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas for their debut season in the sport.
Audi has been working on its debut Formula 1 V6 engine at its home in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany since Spring 2022, and two years later, the complete powertrain was being tested as a unit in a race simulation. Next month, the finished, racetrack ready power units will be shipped to Audi’s other F1 hubs in Hinwil, Switzerland and Bicester, UK.
When will the Audi F1 car be revealed?
The launch of the Audi F1 car will take place in January 2026, and shortly after, the team will head to Barcelona for the first official test drives. There will also be further testing in Bahrain during February, where Audi will get the chance to refine its car ahead of the first race of the 2026 season in Melbourne, Australia, from 6–8 March.
READ: Audi Concept C rolls into London
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Audi