Is Audi making an F1 car?
German car manufacturer audi is contracted to compete as a formula one team and power unit manufacturer beginning with the 2026 season. audi f1 team will be formed through the acquisition of sauber, with engines developed by audi formula racing gmbh. Sauber will be rebranded as stake f1 team kick sauber for the 2024 formula 1 campaign, following the departure of their title sponsor alfa romeo. The swiss team will operate under this banner for the next two seasons before rebranding as audi in 2026 when they become the german manufacturer’s works squad.Audi is set for a full takeover of the Sauber F1 Team for the 2026 Formula 1 season and beyond. But how will the squad shape up? Preparations are well underway for Audi to make its Formula 1 debut in 2026, which will mark a new era for the world championship as the regulations are being overhauled.Sauber to become Audi works F1 team from 2026. Audi have reached an agreement with Sauber to make the Swiss Formula 1 operation their works team from 2026.Neel Jani works as the team’s simulator driver. In 2024, the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a minority stake in the team. In 2025, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto joined Sauber on separate multi-year contracts, and they will become Audi’s first drivers in 2026.Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber (2024–2025) Sauber officially lost Alfa Romeo sponsorship due to transitioning to Audi Sport from 2026 onwards and thus Sauber’s links with Ferrari became weaker with the Haas team effectively assuming Sauber’s role as Ferrari’s new satellite team.
Who will drive for Audi F1 2026?
Despite a turbulent couple of years with several changes of personnel at the top of the team, Audi does at least have its driver line-up confirmed for 2026, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoletto confirmed to continue their current contracts next season. Audi will develop its own engine near to its Ingolstadt headquarters, making it the first F1 powertrain built in Germany for over a decade. From 2026 there will be an increase in power from the electrical side of the powertrain in F1.German car manufacturer Audi is contracted to compete as a Formula One team and power unit manufacturer beginning with the 2026 season. Audi F1 Team will be formed through the acquisition of Sauber, with engines developed by Audi Formula Racing GmbH.Audi is taking over the Sauber F1 team before joining the Formula 1 grid in 2026. But with 18 months to go, it’s changed its leader, replacing Andreas Seidl with former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto. Where does that leave the ambitious project?The future Audi F1 factory team will be based at two locations: Audi is developing the power unit in Neuburg an der Donau, while the race car comes from Hinwil. Audi made the announcement of its Formula 1 entry in 2026 at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.Audi expands commitment to Formula 1 with 100% takeover of Sauber. German manufacturer Audi have moved to accelerate and expand their commitment to Formula 1 by choosing to take a 100% stake in Swiss operation Sauber, ahead of their arrival in the sport in 2026.
Is Audi going to F1 in 2025 or 2026?
Audi is preparing to enter the premier class of motorsport in 2026: Formula 1. The preparation for entering the FIA Formula One World Championship is already well underway. It’s possible that these manufacturers might not possess the specific expertise or infrastructure needed to succeed in Formula 1, so they don’t bother to do it. Maybe they feel that building an F1 car is too expensive and not in line with the concept, especially because of the cost and time that must be spent.The High Costs of Formula 1 F1 teams are also continuously innovating, another race that can result in increased expenditure without any surety of success. Porsche’s decision to forgo having an F1 team is, in part, a strategic move of not wanting to invest wildly in the highly competitive arena with undecided returns.Porsche’s name was not on the list of engine manufacturers confirmed for 2026, although it likely could have used rebadged Audi engines. Now, with options few and far between, Porsche will have to shelve its plans to join Formula One, at least in the medium term.Why doesn’t Rolls Royce enter formula 1? It is more to do with brand perception, I feel. There is no need for Rolls Royce to be in any form of racing as their cars do not stand for being sporty or one of the fastest. Rolls Royce stands for quality and luxury which really has no connection with racing legacy.
Which F1 team is Audi buying?
Audi will complete its 100% takeover of the Sauber F1 Team before the 2026 F1 season. German car manufacturer Audi is contracted to compete as a Formula One team and power unit manufacturer beginning with the 2026 season. Audi F1 Team will be formed through the acquisition of Sauber, with engines developed by Audi Formula Racing GmbH.Audi is taking over the Sauber F1 team before joining the Formula 1 grid in 2026. But with 18 months to go, it’s changed its leader, replacing Andreas Seidl with former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto. Where does that leave the ambitious project?Why is Audi joining F1? Audi first announced in August 2022 that it would become an F1 power unit supplier from 2026, after the new engine regulations were announced. It is believed that Audi was swayed into joining F1 because the 2026 power units feature increased electrical power and 100 percent sustainable fuels.On 26 October 2022, it was announced that Sauber will compete as the Audi factory team from 2026, using Audi’s power unit and thus ended a sixteen-year customer engine relationship with Ferrari since 2010 season. In January 2023, Audi announced the acquisition of a minority stake in the Sauber Group.
Is BMW joining the F1?
BMW returned to the top category of endurance racing in 2024 after a long hiatus. The company is also active in several other series, ranging from the German Touring Car Championship to the Superbike World Championship, but it’s been totally absent from Formula 1 for nearly two decades. BMW only became an official F1 constructor in 2006, but this followed two spells as an engine supplier. The first, in the 1980s, saw it break ground with the first turbo engine to power a driver to world championship success in 1983. It returned in 2000 with Williams and was winning Grands Prix the following year.BMW has been in Formula One since the beginning of the World Drivers’ Championship in 1950. BMW entered several races in the 1950s and 1960s. Often, they ran using the Formula Two rules. In the 1980s, they built the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine.