A Audi presented this Tuesday (20/01), at an event held in Berlin, Germany, the look of the formula 1 car which will be used by Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg in the 2026 season. The model marks the official debut of the German manufacturer in the main motorsport category and features a combination of silver, red and black.
After taking control of Sauber and beginning the development of its own power unit, Audi takes a historic step by entering F1. Reaching the top category extends the brand’s legacy in motor sports, built with great success in rallying – with icons such as the Sport Quattro –, in endurance races, where it dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 2000s and 2010s, in addition to recent achievements in Formula E.
Nico and Gabi suit up in Audi colours for the first time! 🙌✨#F1 pic.twitter.com/uuzE8EP7xS
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 20, 2026
R26 with branding, launch event pictures #audif1 pic.twitter.com/WAm4E6SgRl
— Audi F1 Racing Team (@audi_f1stars) January 20, 2026
Audi car in F1: details
The concept of the car, called R26, had already been presented in November, and the visual proposal shown on that occasion was largely maintained in the model shown in Berlin. Before the official reveal, the team carried out a shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona, on January 9th, when it was possible to hear for the first time the sound of the engine developed by Audi itself, even with the car running in a camouflaged configuration.
This is how the Audi R26 has been presented. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/smtHHLDb2L
— Inside Audi F1 (@InsideAudiF1) January 20, 2026
At this Tuesday’s event, the team revealed the final livery: most of the single-seater appears in a silver tone, with sponsor details in black and red. At the rear, the car gets a red stripe on the sidepods and a predominantly black finish, while the traditional Audi logo appears in red on both the nose and the end of the car.
Audi’s F1 structure will have Jonathan Wheatley as team leader, in addition to Mattia Binotto, ex-Ferrari, in charge of the technical and operations areas.
MORE: Does Audi F1 have a chance to win the race with Bortoleto and the title? Car level analysis
