Overview
- Audi unveiled the R26 Concept in Munich with a titanium, carbon black and lava red livery that the project’s designer says is very close to the race car.
- Mattia Binotto argues 2026 will favor teams that react and develop fastest as new hybrid and aero rules require recalibrated simulation tools.
- Audi will run an in‑house power unit and gearbox from Neuburg with race operations in Hinwil and a technology office in Bicester.
- Leadership and lineup are set with Jonathan Wheatley as team principal, Binotto overseeing the F1 project, and drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
- The program targets closed-door test runs at the end of January, a public livery outing during Bahrain testing in February, and a race debut in Melbourne in March 2026.