There was a lot pleasure and anticipation surrounding the addition of an eleventh workforce in Formulation 1 – within the type of Cadillac – that it might be comprehensible for Audi to really feel somewhat ignored.
It was over three years in the past that Audi introduced it might be getting into F1, and later in 2022 when it confirmed that Sauber can be its accomplice within the new enterprise. A complete new energy unit division was arrange at its facility in Neuburg an der Donau in southern Germany, whereas finally a whole takeover of Sauber was finalized.
Given the evolution of what has been a really spectacular F1 constructor for over 30 years, Audi maybe hasn’t captured the creativeness in the identical approach that the enlargement workforce at Cadillac has, however then it hasn’t notably tried to, both.
Audi has introduced investments – from Qatar – and partnerships – within the type of sponsors Revolut and Adidas – however it was again in Could that Cadillac was making lots of noise in Miami to unveil its brand and id.
In the course of November in Munich, it was lastly Audi’s flip.
The timing was no accident, as Audi has not felt the necessity to make an enormous music and dance till it’s actively on the grid. However with simply the ultimate three races of 2025 to go earlier than consideration turns to the brand new period, it was the time for the German producer to make sure it was within the information for the season-ending run of races. And there have been two key themes that basically stood out throughout a fast go to to the Audi Model Expertise Heart on Wednesday.
One was the model’s historical past. It might need been unveiling an id for 2026 – with an idea livery on its R26 mannequin that was used to show the important thing colours that can mix to create the Audi picture in F1 – however it was very a lot declaring that elite-level motorsport has been a part of the corporate for a very long time.
The Auto Union Sort C was the primary automobile to emerge forward of key personnel arrivals, with the likes of Audi CEO Gernot Dollner, head of Audi’s F1 undertaking Mattia Binotto and workforce principal Jonathan Wheatley all being dropped off in iconic Audi equipment.
Drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto – who additionally arrived as passengers in iconic Audi Quattro rally vehicles – present the current day, however they have been joined by legendary former drivers together with Tom Kristensen, Hans-Joachim Caught, Michele Mouton and Allan McNish.
F1 names they may not all be, however they’re revered of their respective classes as pioneers or the benchmark. And that’s one thing Audi may declare with the equipment that delivered them, successful championships in rally’s Group B period, or securing the primary diesel-powered victory at Le Mans with the R10 TDI. There was additionally the primary electric-drivetrain winner of the Dakar in 2024 – the Audi RS Q e-tron – so as to add to the record of technological trailblazers which have introduced Audi success in motorsport.
“I am a automobile man,” Wheatley says. “The second that I used to be approached concerning the potential for becoming a member of the Audi Formulation 1 undertaking, I do not know, there was one thing inside me, and I felt like I used to be drawn to it – it didn’t really feel like I used to be leaving someplace to return right here.
“I spent my years watching these vehicles. You are speaking concerning the Quattros within the forest with flames popping out of the exhaust, and if you would like anyone to get enthusiastic about one thing as a child, it is that.
“The know-how that Audi has used to attain their success in motorsport has been extraordinary. And interesting is one thing else that makes the undertaking thrilling. What are we going to do in a different way? What are we going to do this’s distinctive? How are we going to attain our targets doing it our personal approach?
“I’m very, very a lot trying ahead to that journey, and I am very, very excited. It feels prefer it’s really taking place now. It’s taken some time, however fairly quickly we will be the Audi Formulation 1 workforce.”
Discuss of the journey was far and large, however with the historical past of the model established – and offering the foundations with which Audi is inspiring perception in its newest motorsport enterprise – there was additionally an actual concentrate on what lies forward.
An enormous countdown clock highlighted the way it was 115 days 09 hours quarter-hour and 29 seconds (on the time) till lights out in Australia to begin the 2026 season, and essentially the most public begin of Audi’s F1 story. However a much bigger, extra imposing goal was set 4 years later, for the workforce to be preventing for world championships from 2030.
It’s a goal that Binotto described as “formidable, as a result of we’re formidable,” however Dollner additionally says it has its roots previously successes of different new Audi motorsport tasks.
“Perhaps we’re the workforce having the least orientation the place we’re, as a result of there’s a lot new stuff coming collectively on this undertaking,” Dollner admits. “A brand new workforce and a workforce in a ramp up part. So subsequent 12 months particularly shall be extraordinarily difficult. However as we mentioned we’ve got a long-term plan. It will likely be our process to study quick and to adapt and to see how issues proceed.
“We did some benchmarking. We had some expertise from different race sequence. We discovered {that a} four-year interval is sort of formidable however life like. In order that’s the place it got here from.
“Now we have a three-phase mannequin. We begin as challengers, then we wish to change into opponents, after which within the third part from 2030 on race for the victory.”
It was a date that was repeated on quite a few events all through the night time, with Audi eager to point out it understands the challenges forward however pointing to the array of four-wheel winners that kicked-off the night time as proof it might sort out these challenges successfully.
Placing a line within the sand so early within the workforce’s historical past is a courageous transfer, however there are examples that show Audi has expertise of sticking to its objectives. There might need been lots of of tens of millions of {dollars} allotted to bettering the infrastructure and services at Sauber, however taking up an current workforce on the chassis aspect additionally helps speed up that timeline.
F1 is a really completely different beast to the classes which have delivered success beforehand, however Audi actually has the observe file to counsel it might no less than try to tame it.
