The team currently competing in Formula 1 as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber will transform into the Audi works outfit in 2026 and the German carmaker has pulled the covers off its new identity

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Side-on view of the new Audi F1 livery(Image: Audi AG)

Audi have vowed to fight for the Formula 1 title by their fifth year in the sport. The head of their F1 project and former Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto made that pledge on Wednesday as they unveiled their livery design for their debut season in 2026 in Germany.

Audi took a stake in Sauber back in 2022 and completed a 100 percent takeover in March 2024, but decided not to use their own branding until next year. And on Wednesday night, at their F1 engine base in Neuburg, north of Munich, they pulled the covers off the design for their first car, the R26.

Gone is every trace of the fluorescent green of the team’s current guise, replaced by the carmaker’s more traditional colours of black, silver and a newly-created ‘Audi red’. These images do not show the final livery yet, as sponsor stickers will need to be added and there are more commercial deals to be struck between now and lights out in Melbourne next March. The car itself will be unveiled in January.

But it is in these colours, Binotto insists, that Audi plan to conquer the F1 world. The Italian said: “The goal is clear: to fight for championships by 2030. That journey takes time, the right people and a mindset of continuous improvement.

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Audi will debut their new look on track in 2026(Image: Audi AG)

“Formula 1 is one of the most competitive environments. Becoming a champion is a journey of progress. Mistakes will happen, but learning from them is what drives transformation.”

Gernot Dollner, Audi chief executive, believes the company is joining the F1 circus with “an ambitious yet realistic roadmap”. He added: “We are not entering Formula 1 just to be there. We want to win. At the same time, we know that you don’t become a top team in Formula 1 overnight. It takes time, perseverance and tireless questioning of the status quo.”

Under team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who started work in April after many years as sporting director at Red Bull, the Sauber team has already made impressive progress. After a dismal 2024 which saw them score just four points all year and finish rock bottom of the championship, this looked set to be another season of treading water.

But they have managed 62 points this season with an all-new driver line-up of veteran Nico Hulkenberg and promising rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. The obvious highlight of the season was a memorable podium for Hulkenberg at Silverstone – the German’s first top-three finish in his 239th start.

Wheatley believes he has the right drivers and staff to get the job done. He said: “Championship-winning teams are not built on magic – they are built on people who believe: in each other, in the process, and in the destination.

“Our drivers, Nico and Gabi, embody that spirit. They bring passion and hunger and treat every lap as a chance to learn and move forward. We have a mindset that dares to redefine what a racing team can be.”