No, this is not the first Audi in Formula 1 history, but a true-to-original pre-war model from Auto Union in the hill climb version. The interested viewer rightly asks himself why the past should be the inspiration for the present at this point. Because the image of the brand new one in Formula 1 in 2026 will already be a thing of the past today. The huge regulatory reform is accelerating the pace of development.
Over the next few weeks, Formula 1 will give the impression of overtaking itself. So why praise a – faithful – copy of the Audi R26, as it was unveiled on Tuesday evening in Berlin, as a model of the future, as managing director Gernot Döllner did, when the car can only be recognized by its paintwork (silver-black-red). The racing teams are currently calling the silhouettes of the 2026 vintage presented to the world a design model. Behind this is care, cleverness and marketing.
A piece of salami every day keeps you feeling hungry; Unveiling the latest grand piano would bring the competition onto the trail even earlier and misleading is part of the business. The very first Audi in Formula 1 history will not even show its true colors in the first test drive in Barcelona from January 25th, hardly in the second and probably only partially in the third.
The teams will demonstrate the first racing version at the start of the season on March 8th in Melbourne. But if you listen, you can see something: theater. These days, regulators are supposed to advise whether the new, hybrid drive concept from Mercedes and Red Bull complies with the rules. Listen, listen, Audi also submitted the application. Ahead of the competition? The debutant wants to become the “most successful team in Formula 1 history”. The forerunners were fixed 100 years ago: 380 at the top. You should look at the boxes again.
