The house of the four circles lands in Formula 1. It will not happen immediately, but it will be an event of great importance, given that of the great German manufacturers (Opel aside), it was the only one to never have walked the most important stage in the world of Motorsport, as done instead by Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW.
However, it will not be a team that will take part in the world championship, but the manufacturer itself as an engine supplier starting from 2026, the year in which many technical rules on the construction of Power Units will change, as recently announced by the FIA and Formula 1. This was announced in an extraordinary press conference by the president of the FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem, that Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali, Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi AG, and Oliver Hoffmann, member of Audi’s technical development board.
DETAILS AT THE END OF THE YEAR
It will be the first time in over 10 years that a Formula 1 engine will be made in Germany, given that those of the future competitor Mercedes are made in Great Britain, at the Brixworth headquarters. Audi will instead operate from Neuburg with operations entrusted to Adam Baker.
And this is keen to underline the house from Ingolstadt, which has also announced the change at the top of Audi Sport with the exit of Julius Seebach and the baton that will pass to Rolf Michl. Returning to the Formula 1 commitment, Audi will announce the team with which it will line up only at the end of the year, but the clues lead to thinking that it may be Sauber in what appears to be a sort of Pulcinella secret. At the end of the conference, a show car in the colors of Audi Sport was exhibited in the Spa-Francorchamps pitlane, representative of the German manufacturer’s commitment to the new championship.
SPORTING AND SUSTAINABLE DNA
” Motorsport is an integral part of Audi’s DNA ” – explained Markus Duesmann – ” Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The pursuit of maximum performance and competition has always been the engine for innovation and the transfer of technologies from the track to the road. In light of the new regulations, the time has come for our direct involvement. After all, Formula 1 and Audi share the goal of sustainability ”.
Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali added: ”I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula 1, an iconic, pioneer and innovator brand. This is an important moment for our sport, which highlights the tremendous strength we have as a global platform that continues to expand. It is also a great recognition that our move to sustainably powered hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector. We can’t wait to see the Audi logo on the starting grid. ”
