Audi has shared the moment it fired up its 2026 engine for the first time to all Formula 1 team employees.
The Germans will have Nico Hülkenberg as a driver duo. The power unit is one of the central elements of the regulation change that comes into force in the category this year.
The automaker bought 100% of the Sauber structure, which had been part of the sport since the 1990s, and also decided to manufacture its own engine, instead of being a customer.
She began her adaptation in the category still under the old name, changing the most powerful names in the administration and hiring Hulk and Bortoleto, who are going into their second year in the same structure.
“The R26 has officially taken its first breath. We’ve had a long road testing, refining and constantly believing in our vision, which has brought us to this moment. This activation is more than a technical achievement, it’s a moment of excitement, relief and emotion for the entire team that made this possible,” declared the team on Instagram.
Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto was also present at the factory, alongside Mattia Binotto, head of Audi’s Formula 1 project.
Despite the excitement at the moment, some of the team leaders have already said that they do not have high expectations for the start of the new regulations,
In addition to Audi, its power units of the new regulation.
Hear Audi’s 2026 engine:
