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Audi to enter Formula 1 in 2026; developing new hybrid power unit

From 2026, Audi will compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with a specially developed power unit. The project will be based at Audi Sport’s facility in Neuburg near Ingolstadt. This is the first time in more than a decade that a Formula 1 power train will be built in Germany.

The new Formula 1 technical rules, which will apply from 2026, focus on greater electrification and advanced sustainable fuel. In addition to the existing cap on costs for teams, a cost cap for power unit manufacturers will be introduced in 2023. In addition, Formula 1 has set itself the goal of being a carbon-neutral racing series by 2030.

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Showcar with Audi F1 launch livery. The vehicle shown is a concept vehicle that is not available as a production model.


In view of the major technological leaps that the series is making towards sustainability in 2026, we can speak of a new Formula 1. Formula 1 is transforming, and Audi wants to actively support this journey. A close link between our Formula 1 project and AUDI AG’s Technical Development department will enable synergies.

—Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development

From 2026, the electric power output for the power units, consisting of an electric motor, battery, control electronics, and a combustion engine, will increase sharply compared to today’s Formula 1 drive systems.

The electric motor will then be nearly as powerful as the combustion engine, which has an output of about 400 kW (544 hp). The highly efficient 1.6-liter turbo engines run on advanced sustainable fuel—also a prerequisite for Audi’s entry into the series.

The power unit will be built at Audi Sport’s Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg an der Donau, not far from AUDI AG’s company headquarters in Ingolstadt.

For the development and manufacture of the Formula 1 power train, we will build on the valuable expertise of our motorsport employees, continue to invest in our motorsports center, and also recruit highly specialized professionals.

—Audi Sport Managing Director Julius Seebach

Seebach organized the entry into Formula 1 as part of Audi’s realignment of motorsport.

In Neuburg there are already test benches for F1 engine testing as well as for electric motor and battery testing. Additional necessary preparations are currently being made in terms of personnel, buildings, and technical infrastructure, with everything essential to be in place by the end of the year. A separate company was recently founded for the power unit project as a wholly owned subsidiary of Audi Sport. Adam Baker will take over the management of the company and thus the Formula 1 project as CEO. The trained engineer has held various senior positions for manufacturers and teams in motorsport. Before joining Audi in 2021, he worked for the FIA for three years.

Audi will announce a decision on which team they will be lining up with in 2026 by the end of this year.

The Formula 1 series holds races in all relevant markets of the brand. As a spectacular platform for the most demanding electrified racing cars in the world, it is of particular interest to car manufacturers. Audi is taking on the challenge of proving its “Vorsprung durch Technik” in this competitive environment.

The great interest in Formula 1 is global and the racing series is one of the sporting events with the highest reach in the world. In 2021, more than 1.5 billion TV viewers watched the races. Formula 1 is popular in key markets such as China and the USA, and the trend continues to rise—even among young target groups. On social media, Formula 1 is now experiencing the highest growth rates among the world’s most popular sports.

Audi Sport is pooling its strengths for the Formula 1 project and as a consequence is discontinuing its LMDh project. The motorsport division had recently suspended the development of the sports car for endurance racing. Alongside customer racing, Audi Sport will continue its innovation project with the RS-Q e-tron in the Dakar Rally. Next year, Audi’s aim is overall victory in the desert.

Audi’s entry into Formula 1 marks the conclusion of its motorsport restructure, but also the close of a formative period at Audi Sport GmbH. Managing Director Julius Seebach will join AUDI AG on 1 September 2022, and will take on a new strategic business area in Technical Development, reporting directly to the Executive Board.

Starting 1 September, Seebach will be succeeded by Rolf Michl, who has been Chief Operating Officer Racing at Audi Sport since February. Together with Dr. Sebastian Grams, he will form the Management Board of Audi Sport GmbH.

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