Audi in Formula One

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Germany Audi
Full nameRevolut Audi F1 Team
Base
  • Hinwil, Zurich, Switzerland (Chassis)
  • Neuburg, Bavaria, Germany (Power unit)
  • Bicester, Oxfordshire, England (Technology centre)
Team principal(s)
Technical directorJames Key
Noted drivers
Websitewww.audif1team.com
Previous nameSauber Motorsport AG
Formula One World Championship career
First entry2026 (contracted)
EnginesAudi

German car manufacturer Audi is contracted to compete as a Formula One team and power unit manufacturer from 2026 onwards. Revolut Audi F1 Team will be formed through the acquisition of Sauber, with engines developed by Audi Formula Racing GmbH.

Prior to World War II, Audi's predecessor Auto Union contested Grand Prix motor racing from 1935 to 1939. They announced their intention to acquire Sauber—who debuted in 1993—and its Swiss facilities in 2022, ahead of new power unit and chassis regulations in 2026. The project expanded to a power unit facility in Bavaria and a technology centre in the "Motorsport Valley" of Oxfordshire, England.

Background

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Pre–World War II Grands Prix (1935–1939)

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See also: Auto Union racing cars and Silver Arrows
Bernd Rosemeyer driving the Auto Union Type C ahead of Manfred von Brauchitsch at the 1937 Donington Grand Prix
Auto Union, the predecessor of Audi, competed in Grand Prix motor racing from 1935 to 1939, winning the European Drivers' Championship in 1936 with Bernd Rosemeyer.
Audi as a Formula One engine manufacturer
Official name(s)Audi Formula Racing GmbH
BaseNeuburg, Bavaria, Germany
Formula One World Championship career
First entry2026 (contracted)
ChassisAudi

Whilst the modern Audi company has never entered Grand Prix motor racing, its predecessor company Auto Union had competed in Grand Prix racing from 1935 to 1939, prior to World War II and the inception of the Formula One World Championship in 1950.[1]

Auto Union was founded in 1932 as a merger of four struggling automotive firms: Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer.[2] The following year, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler announced a state-sponsored motor racing programme with Mercedes-Benz.[3] Upon request from Ferdinand Porsche, Hitler agreed that competition between two German firms would improve their chances of victory and national glory; an annual 500,000 ℛℳ (£40,000; £3,590,000 in 2023) prize for the most successful car between Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz was announced, eventually rising to 3,125,000 ℛℳ (£250,000; £22,420,000 in 2023) and prompting a heated rivalry.[4]

Across five seasons in the AIACR European Championship, Auto Union won seven Grandes Épreuves and 14 non-championship Grands Prix.[5] Bernd Rosemeyer claimed European Drivers' Championship in 1936, driving the Type C, with victories at the German, Swiss, and Italian Grands Prix.[3] Hermann Paul Müller unofficially won the final edition in 1939, with the title not awarded due to the onset of World War II in Europe following the invasion of Poland.[6] Auto Union was later absorbed by Volkswagen in 1964, becoming the modern-day Audi company.[7]

Zurich-based constructors (1993–2025)

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Main articles: Sauber, BMW Sauber, and Alfa Romeo Racing
See also: Sauber Grand Prix results and Alfa Romeo Grand Prix results
Robert Kubica driving the BMW Sauber F1.08 at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix
Sauber were previously partnered with Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Petronas, BMW, and Alfa Romeo; they achieved their only victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with BMW and Robert Kubica.

The antecedent constructor to Audi based in Hinwil—Sauber—made its Formula One debut in 1993, having contested sportscar racing since 1970.[8] The team was partnered with Mercedes-Benz until 1994, Ford until 1996, and Petronas until 2005, before becoming the factory team for BMW from 2006 to 2009.[9] Sauber claimed their highest finishes in the World Constructors' Championship with second and third in 2007 and 2008, respectively, the former after a disqualification for McLaren and the latter including their sole victory at the Canadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica.[10] They returned as an independent constructor in 2010 with Ferrari engines, repurchased by Peter Sauber following the Great Recession and a failed shell company acquisition.[11] A title sponsorship deal with Alfa Romeo in 2018 led to a full rebrand from 2019 to 2023,[12] after which they switched to support from Stake and Kick.[13]

Establishment (2022–present)

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Audi announced in 2022 that it would enter the championship as an engine manufacturer in 2026.[14][15] In October, Audi confirmed its partnership with Sauber Motorsport for the year 2026, acquiring a stake in the company for the German brand to enter the competition by renaming the team and supplying engines.[16][17] Neel Jani works as the team's simulator driver.[18][19] In 2024, the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a minority stake in the team.[20]

In 2025, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto joined Sauber on separate multi-year contracts, and they will become Audi's first drivers in 2026.[21][22][23] On 1 July, Sauber announced that it had opened the 'Sauber Motorsport Technology Centre' in Bicester Motion, Bicester, Oxfordshire[24][25] with the aim of attracting more specialised personnel to join the team in the "Motorsport Valley" area in the United Kingdom. The technology centre aims to complement the original base in Hinwil, Switzerland where the chassis is constructed.[25]

Audi signed a multi-year deal with British financial technology company Revolut to be the title sponsor of the team.[26][27]

Constructor personnel

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Jonathan Wheatley is the inaugural team principal of Audi, with Mattia Binotto serving as the project head and James Key as the technical director.

Power unit programme

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The Audi power unit programme will operated by the subsidiary Audi Formula Racing GmbH,[28] based in Neuburg an der Donau, Bavaria, Germany.[29]

Facilities

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Audi is based at three facilities across Europe:

References

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  1. ^ Hughes, Mark (26 August 2022). "Audi has gone grand prix racing before - sort of". The Race. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Porsche Designs: From Racetrack to Battlefield". Ran When Parked. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Auto Union Type C". DDavid.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  4. ^ Setright, L. J. K. "Mercedes-Benz: The German Fountain-head", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. 11, p. 1311–1312.
  5. ^ "THE GOLDEN ERA – OF GRAND PRIX RACING". kolumbus.fi. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  6. ^ Armstrong, Richard. "Unfinished Symphony: Why the 1939 European Championship was never won". 8W. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
  7. ^ Nazario, Uriah (18 May 2012). "The History of Audi Auto Group". GearHeads. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  8. ^ Shah, Kunal (29 June 2020). "Peter Sauber Interview On 50 Years In Motorsport". Kunal's F1 Blog. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Sauber | Motorsport Database". Motor Sport. ISSN 0027-2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  10. ^ "BMW Sauber – Grands Prix started". StatsF1. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  11. ^ Pablo Elizalde (27 November 2009). "BMW sells F1 team back to Peter Sauber". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  12. ^ "Formula 1: Sauber renamed Alfa Romeo Racing from start of 2019 season". bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. BBC News. 1 February 2019. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  13. ^ Cooper, Adam (15 December 2023). "Sauber to run under Stake F1 Team name in 2024-25". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Audi to join Formula 1 from 2026". www.formula1.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  15. ^ Kisby, Cambridge (14 March 2024). "Audi's Sauber takeover: Everything you need to know before 2026 F1 entry". Motor Sport. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Audi selects Sauber as strategic partner for Formula 1 entry". Audi MediaCenter. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Sauber to become Audi works F1 team from 2026 | Formula 1®". www.formula1.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Audi announce new simulator driver as they take next step in F1 power unit development". Formula 1. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Audi brings in Porsche veteran as 2026 F1 engine sim driver". The Race. 22 June 2023. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  20. ^ Qatar Investment Authority buys stake in Audi F1 racing team Gulf News 23 November 2024
  21. ^ "Nico Hulkenberg confirmed as first Audi F1 driver after move from Haas to Sauber for 2025 confirmed". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Hulkenberg reveals 'driving factor' behind Audi F1 decision". RacingNews365. 9 May 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Kick Sauber confirm rookie Bortoleto as second driver for 2025". 6 November 2024.
  24. ^ "Sauber Motorsport Opens Technology Centre at Bicester Motion, UK". Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  25. ^ a b "Sauber open new UK Technology Centre as transformation into Audi continues". Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  26. ^ Baldwin, Alan (30 July 2025). "Revolut to become title partner of Audi F1 team". Reuters. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  27. ^ Kisby, Cambridge (23 July 2024). "Audi's F1 team explained: the rocky road to 2026 launch". Motor Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Audi accelerates F1 acquisition". Audi Magazine Australia. Audi. 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Audi expands Competence Center Motorsport for its Formula 1 project". Audi MediaCenter. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Sauber open new UK Technology Centre as transformation into Audi continues". Retrieved 1 July 2025.
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