“We want to fight for the title”
New Formula 1 car: Audi shows design concept
November 12, 2025 – 10:50 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
From next season, the car manufacturer from Ingolstadt will be represented in the “premier class”. Now Audi has presented its plans – and given a foretaste of what the racing car could look like.
Audi wants to fight for the title in Formula 1 from 2030. “We will be challengers in the next two years. 2026 and 2027 are the challenger years,” said Audi boss Gernot Döllner on Wednesday evening in Munich. “We want to be competitive from 2028 onwards, and we want to fight for the title from 2030.”
Starting next season, Audi will compete as a works team in the premier class of motorsport. At an event in the Audi Brand Experience Center at Munich Airport, 115 days before the first Grand Prix in Melbourne, the German car manufacturer gave a foretaste of the future design of the new Formula 1 car with the presentation of the Audi R26 Concept.
“For Audi, it’s not just about taking part, but also about winning,” said Sebastian Vettel’s former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who is now a project manager at Audi, in front of Formula 1 managing director Stefano Domenicali. “Formula 1 is one of the most competitive environments. Becoming champion is a process of constant progress.”
Audi has taken over the Swiss Sauber racing team and will compete in Formula 1 as a works team from next season. The expensive entry was controversial within the German manufacturer. Despite the crisis in the automotive industry, the timing appears to be good for Audi, as new regulations will come into force next year.
“Entering Formula 1 has never been better than in the last 30 years with this rule change,” said Döllner. He emphasized: “Whenever Audi has entered a racing series, Audi has been successful.”