‘The dream is coming close’ – Audi bosses on the challenge of being race-ready for 2026

We've known Audi were heading for Formula 1 in 2026 for around three years. But it wasn't until Wednesday, when they hosted a dazzling launch event in Munich to unveil the colours and design that will adorn their first F1 car, that it felt like the German manufacturer had really arrived.

Audi have enjoyed immense success across various motorsport categories, from endurance racing and the famous Le Mans 24 Hours to rallying and touring cars.

That success was on show at this event, with the likes of CEO Gernot Dollner, Head of Audi F1 project Mattia Binotto and Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley, plus their drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali arriving in a selection of vintage machinery that has won Audi so much silverware over the years.

"This feels like a very significant moment on our journey," says Wheatley when we speak on the red carpet at the event. "To see all the cars – it's like Audi have opened up the toy box and got all of the cars out here tonight. I had a spin in a Quattro Sport, which is one of my favourite cars, round to the event just now. It all feels real, it feels like it's happening."

Audi are proud of what they've achieved in motor racing so far. They've dipped their toe in, invested heavily in technology and design and then ultimately won. Taking on the challenge of Formula 1 is the natural next step. And while reaching the top step won't be the work of the moment – they intend to find a way to get there before the end of the decade.

"We have got our plans, we know our competitors are strong, but we are here to try to do well," Binotto tells me. "We are aiming to win a championship by 2030. That's our ambition, our goal, our objective."

That's five years for Audi to turn a Sauber squad who are fighting in the thick of the midfield and have only previously won one race in their various iterations, but have made progress this year under the leadership of Binotto and Wheatley into an operation that can fight the likes of McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari for race wins – and the championship.

That target shows that the board understand and respect the challenge F1 presents but also shows Audi's big ambitions, as five years isn’t very long in F1.

They are ploughing huge amounts of resource into their power unit base in Neuberg, Germany, where the first Audi power unit is coming to life. They are looking to develop Hinwil, which has been Sauber's home since they entered F1 in 1993 and from next year will be responsible for churning out the first Audi F1 car. And they will ultimately want a return on that investment.

For next year, though, they are being pragmatic. No one knows what the pecking order will look like given the sweeping new rules that will see very different chassis – which will feature active aero – and brand-new power units that put a greater focus on battery power and which will run advanced sustainable fuel.

"[The Audi board have given us a] very realistic set of targets," says Wheatley. "They understand the journey we are on, they have been incredibly understanding of how long that may take, the stages along the way, the fact everything needs to be in place, get bigger then consolidate your position for a while, get bigger again and then consolidate.

"So, our target really is to keep building on this momentum, which we started this year. We need to carry that through – and that will make us championship challengers at the end of the decade."

With their motorsport heritage taking centre stage to open the event, it was then the turn of the R26 Concept car to break cover, donning the colour scheme that will coat their new F1 machines. The Audi red, black and titanium and straight, clean lines, was very Audi. That they conducted extensive research of how the colours will look on TV during the broadcast shows every detail matters to the German firm.

"It's about releasing something really unique," says Wheatley. "If you look at an F1 car in five years, you'll say that's an Audi, in 10 years’ time, you'll say that's an Audi. It's about setting a design ethos that will just carry through."

Underneath the paintjob, but away from prying eyes (as the livery was unveiled on a concept show car) in Hinwil, the first Audi F1 car is coming together. "It's looking great as a car," says Binotto. "I am enjoying the new regulations, I'm enjoying the challenge from an engineering point of view.

"The entire team at Hinwil and Neuberg are excited, it'll be very special for us in a few weeks' time when we fire up the car – and then later on we will hit the track very soon. Next year, when we are in Melbourne, it'll be a special moment for all of us. The dream is coming close."

Binotto has an immense amount of experience in Formula 1, with a large chunk of that centred around the power unit, having headed up that division for a period during his long stint at Ferrari. He of all people knows how big a challenge it is for Audi to not only get a power unit ready in a reasonably short amount of time but to do so having never built a Formula 1 engine that has hit the track.

"The challenge is big," he says. "The power unit is a complex and difficult matter. The development of the power unit takes time, it takes longer than the chassis and aero. The team started years ago to develop the power unit and it's running well on the dyno. But for us it will be a long journey, and there will be much we need to learn, but we are all excited.

"On the dyno, we are running through reliability at the moment, ensuring reliability will be alright for the start of the season. There are some tense moments in Neuberg – but that's the challenge."

He adds: "I think the power unit challenge is difficult, but to become World Champion, to become the best car on track, all the challenges are tricky. I don't think you can select one or the other being the most difficult. But for a new manufacturer, certainly it's not easy."

Exciting times ahead, then, for Audi. The German automotive are taking their entry into F1 very seriously – and they want to beat the very best. Based on their approach so far, they’ve got off to a strong start.