Audi set to enter Formula One from the 2026 season

Audi announced at the Belgian Grand Prix press conference at Spa-Francorchamps on Aug 26 that it is entering Formula One starting from the 2026 season.

Audi will enter the sport with a specially developed power unit, which will be built at Audi Sport's state-of-the-art Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg an der Donau, marking the first time in more than a decade that a Formula One powertrain will be built in Germany.

Testing for Audi's F1 engine as well as it's electric motor and battery are currently ongoing.

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 One 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-litre turbo engines run on advanced sustainable fuel – also a prerequisite for Audi's entry into the series.

With new technical rules of being a carbon-neutral racing series by 2030, Formula One will be focusing 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 also be introduced in 2023.

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"Motorsport is an integral part of Audi's DNA, now is the right time for us to get involved.

"After all, Formula One and Audi both pursue clear sustainability goals," said Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG (Audi's automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany) at the press conference at Spa-Francorchamps.

Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development of Audi AG, further added, "Formula One is transforming, and Audi wants to actively support this journey."

Audi will announce its team for the Formula One 2026 season by the end of this year.

This article was first published CarBuyer.