Audi confirmed for Formula One in 2026

Audi is graduating to Grand Prix racing, as the 13-time winner at Le Mans shifts its motorsport focus to Formula One under new hybrid engine rules.

The Audi involvement in Formula One racing is the first move in a plan by its parent company, German giant Volkswagen, which will also include Porsche and focus on sustainable synthetic fuels and advanced hybrid technology.

Audi will not introduce its own team to the sport, but will partner with an existing outfit – and will develop its own turbo engines and hybrid systems.

The car maker says it will not confirm its Formula One partner until the end of the year, but it's widely expected it will choose the Sauber squad out of Switzerland, which currently races with Alfa Romeo branding.

The Porsche plan – still to be confirmed after several delays on an official announcement – is slated to see the sports-car company partner with the Red Bull Racing squad that leads this year's Formula One World Championship.

The Audi effort marks a seismic shift, as the company has previously focused its motorsport efforts on Le Mans – where it won 13 times and pioneered hybrid and diesel-hybrid technology – and touring car racing, including the Super Touring series it won in Australia in the 1990s.

“Formula One is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry,” said the chairman of Audi, Markus Duesmann, in a statement.

“With the new rules, now is the right time for us to get involved. After all, Formula One and Audi both pursue clear sustainability goals.”

MORE: Porsche driving into Formula One with Red Bull

Confirmation of the Audi deal came today at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where the Belgian Grand Prix is being held this weekend.

Audi said its decision to graduate to Grand Prix racing came as a result of Formula One's efforts to be more sustainable and affordable, with a cost cap for power unit manufacturers introduced in 2023, and a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, thanks to sustainable fuels.

“I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula One. This is a major moment for our sport,” said the president and CEO of Formula One, Stefano Domenicali — a former employee at Audi – in a statement.

“It is also a big recognition that our move to sustainably-fuelled hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector.

From 2026, the hybrid drive systems in Formula One will boost the contribution from the electric motor and battery, so it nearly matches the 400kW coming from the 1.6-litre V6 turbo engine, while running on sustainable fuel.

Under the current regulations, the balance far favours the V6 engine, with closer to 600kW coming from petrol power – and only about 120kW from the hybrid system.

Audi has already set up a new research and development centre at Neuburg, Germany, and has established a new subsidiary of its Audi Sport division to handle responsibility for the Grand Prix program.

It plans to have its Formula One personnel, buildings and technical infrastructure complete by the end of this year.