Back in November, I traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, to see the unveiling of Audi‘s first-ever F1 car. However, it wasn’t the whole schnitzel; it was just the overall design. Still, I learned about the three basic colors, shapes, and the ethos behind the open-wheel racer, which was shown to the media and public free of sponsors. Today, Audi finally revealed the R26 in its entirety.
Needless to say, it hasn’t changed much, but the little it has changed is definitely for the better. Race cars always look better plastered with sponsors, and this Audi is no exception.
“Today marks more than a launch; it marks the public declaration of a new era for Audi,” explained Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG. “Formula 1 is the most demanding stage in the world of motorsport, and we are here not just to compete, but to define the future of ‘Vorsprung durch Technik.'” That German phrase has been an Audi tagline for decades, and means “progress through technology” (literally translates to “advantage through technology”).
“This project is a catalyst for our entire company, a symbol of our transformation towards a more performance-driven, efficient, and innovative culture. Our philosophy is one of absolute, long-term commitment. We understand that success in Formula 1 demands relentless perseverance and Audi Revolut F1 Team is not here to make up the numbers; we aim to be fighting for the World Championship by 2030,” he added.
F1 is a business, and now more than ever, the series, its teams, and even the drivers—veteran Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, in this case—rely on sponsors to run a financially successful operation. Audi’s title sponsor is Revolut, a U.K.-based online bank, but the team has been busy for weeks putting out social media campaigns to announce its other sponsors, such as Adidas, BP, Piquadro, Hyatt, Castrol, and, probably my favorite campaign so far, Gillette, which put out a video where the rear wing turned into a razor. It was pretty neat.
When I spoke with Audi designer Marcos dos Santos, whose team is responsible for the car’s livery, he shared that it was a monumental task to capture Audi’s heritage and future and package it into a new F1 race car.
“Our first point to start from was to take a long and good look at our own history, to understand what made us great in all the other racing series we’ve competed in—but also, what will make sure that we can keep on striving for greatness,” dos Santos told The Drive back in November. “So this is the first step, and then we figure out how to expand on that.
“What’s made Audi great through the years is that we continue to push the limits—that’s our overall philosophy. Obviously, there are many guardrails to consider when approaching a design for an F1 car,” he added. “It’s an extremely specific architecture, very specific topography, but luckily enough, Audi has a lot of cool things from the past to twist and to build on.”
Under the direction of Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley, Audi will head into Spain next week ready for the first of two pre-season tests. Then, the squad will head to Australia in March for its first GP under the Audi banner.
Audi reveal their FIRST EVER F1 car! 🤩
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