F1 sees value in Miami Grand Prix, extends contract until 2041
Safid Deen explains the value F1 sees in the Miami Grand Prix and how he hopes the race will help grow the sport’s fan base in America.
F1 fans could be forgiven for thinking: audi‘s entry into the fast-growing series has been put on the back burner in recent months. At the time of writing, there are three races left in the exciting 2025 F1 season, with the drivers’ championship still to be decided. And while there has been plenty of talk and talk about the 2026 campaign, which begins in less than four months in Melbourne, Australia, from March 6-8, much of it has focused on F1’s new technological era.
The new formula mandates slightly shorter, narrower and lighter cars with slightly narrower tires, increased reliance on the powertrain’s hybrid electric system that splits power 50/50 between the internal combustion engine and battery electric system, reduced downforce and more advanced active aerodynamics instead of today’s simpler rear wing-only drag reduction system.
CadillacI also have grabbed a lot of headlinesthe automaker is the first of the big three Compete in the series as a complete American factory team. The hiring of IndyCar star and California native Colton Herta as a test driver with the aim of graduating to F1 after at least a year of racing in F2 next season drew a lot of attention as well.
But now it’s Audi’s turn to make headlines again, and the German automaker did so today at a showcase event it hosted in Munich, Germany, where it took the wraps off a non-driving show car called the R26 Concept, which features an early look at the 2026 F1 livery.
simple but recognizable
Unlike Cadillac, Audi isn’t building an F1 team from scratch. Rather, he is in full control of the eponymous Sauber team, which was introduced into F1 in 1993 by Swiss motorsport legend Peter Sauber. For the past two seasons, Sauber has featured an eye-catching bright green, black and white car identity, supporting the colors of sponsors Kick (Australian streaming service) and Stake (Curaçao’s cryptocurrency-based online gambling platform). Audi’s new livery, unsurprisingly, covers the front half of the car in silver (one of Germany’s traditional motor racing colors dating back to the 1930s), with the manufacturer’s corporate colors of fluorescent red and black dominating the rear section.
More specifically, Silver is the same new titanium shade seen above. The Audi Concept C we recently droveLava Red, on the other hand, is a fresh shade for what the company calls its next-generation products. As for the black, it’s unpainted glossy carbon fiber.
Audi told us during the F1 livery announcement that we expect titanium and lava red to be featured on Audi’s production models in the near future. As for the exposed carbon fiber on next year’s actual race cars, we wouldn’t be surprised if they were left matte to save weight, a common practice in F1.
Hits of pseudo-glowing lava red also trim other areas, including the airbox and sidepod inlets, the R26 Concept’s nose, engine cover and Audi’s standard four-ring logo prominently placed on the rear wing. It’s far from a wild or particularly original design. Some might say it’s boring or too modest. But whenever drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortleto appear at the 24 tracks that make up F1’s 2026 calendar, it will at least be instantly recognizable to fans and commentators.
Oh, and for detail-obsessed F1 fans, you won’t be seeing things: It certainly has the Lava Red graphic treatment on the concept’s Pirelli, a bespoke element the company went to for this reveal instead of offering the typical dark red-tinted rubber that indicates the supplier’s soft-compound tires during a race weekend.
The livery of this official car is not as loud as it appears in front of you. What Audi unveiled when announcing its F1 plans Fast forward to summer 2022, and it’s certainly more approachable to clearly display sponsor logos on race-spec versions. By the way, Audi is contractually prohibited from including this information in this first public release, and negotiations are currently underway with several commercial partners to finalize this. The first of these deals will be made public in December, with more expected to follow in the new year. Backers confirmed so far include British financial tech company Revolut, which has signed on as the team’s main title sponsor, Adidas as Audi’s official apparel provider and BP as its fuel and lubricants partner. The latter will promote both BP and Castrol’s major brands through the deal.
While the car seen here is just a showpiece to show off the livery, the actual F1 car will indeed be called the R26, and Audi says the livery will be pretty close to the final installment, apart from changes needed to accommodate sponsor branding and work with the lines and geometry of the physical bodywork of the actual race car.
Eagle-eyed Audi enthusiasts may notice that the “Audi Sport” branding often seen on the company’s race cars is missing. That’s because the F1 project is intended to represent Audi as a whole, and not just the Audi Sport division, which operates as a subsidiary of the mother ship and is not responsible for the F1 program.
high expectations
Perhaps interesting for trivia buffs, and certainly worth noting, Sauber’s original F1 entry was made possible with the support of Mercedes-Benz, based on the close relationship between the two companies when they previously raced in Group C sports car competition for several years. Additionally, BMW held a majority stake in the Sauber F1 operation from 2006 to 2009, and Audi’s acquisition of the team will single-handedly link Sauber with the German “big three” car manufacturers (Volkswagen Group, which owns Audi) and Alfa Romeo from 2017 to 2023 in Grand Prix racing.
Overall, Sauber’s best championship finish while competing in F1 under the independent Sauber banner was fourth place in the 2001 constructors’ championship, driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Nick Heidfeld. Racing with support from BMW, the team finished second in the constructors’ standings in 2007 with Heidfeld and Robert Kubica, the latter taking the team’s only victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, with Heidfeld following in second place, the best result in the team’s history.
Even in today’s era of cost constraints, where teams are expected to spend more than $215 million per season starting next year, such long-term results won’t be worth it for Audi or any manufacturer-owned team. Audi’s five-year plan aims to win races and compete for championships by the 2030 season.
To that end, the team has been increasing its resources in recent seasons in preparation for 2026. Currently, the team boasts three separate facilities. One is at Sauber’s existing headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, where chassis development continues in a facility that boasts one of the largest full-scale wind tunnels used in F1. The new real estate will be added to Audi’s existing motorsport facility in Neuburg, Germany, where the full powertrain (1.6 liter turbocharged combustion engine, hybrid system and gearbox) will be designed and manufactured. And the outpost near Britain’s Silverstone circuit, a hub of F1 know-how and experienced talent, serves as a support center for Hinwil’s team.
According to the Audi team leader we spoke to, around 430 employees work on powertrains in Germany, with around 750 F1 team members across the three locations, with around 250 new hires over the past two years. This brings the former Sauber business closer to the existing major F1 companies, which boast over 1,000 staff, and is sure to continue to strengthen.
With F1’s new regulations for 2026, Audi, on the other hand, has the chance to be more competitive than it would have been if it had joined the series at a time when established teams had years of data and experience with the existing rules package. For example, Hinvill’s team has years of experience in aerodynamics and chassis development, and the addition of Audi’s greater resources could produce a solid car at a time when F1 teams are also adapting to new aero packages and trying to find the best solution.
On the other hand, as for the powertrain, this is Audi’s first attempt at building such a gas-electric hybrid unit, so there are many unknowns. The new rules call for a 50/50 split between the internal combustion engine and hybrid drive in terms of producing a total peak power of about 1,000 horsepower, compared to 80/20 under current regulations dating back to 2014. No matter how many simulation tools teams have at their disposal, there is no existing powertrain data to compare with, no correlating previous track driving data. That is the main reason why the company is targeting 2030 as the time to reach the forefront of F1’s competitive standings. And as Mattia Binotto, Audi’s head of F1 projects, admitted in Munich: “It’s possible, but it’s ambitious. It could take more time.”
As he points out, and as many teams have discovered over the years, successfully competing in F1 is a tall order on any timeline. For now, at least we know pretty much what Audi’s car will look like when it fires its first shots in Australia in March.
Photo by Audi
