Audi

Audi is an F1 team that will compete as a new works team (the team that manufactures its own power units) in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship for the first time in history.

Audi will, in season 2026, replace the team that we currently know as the Stake F1 team or Sauber (or, in 2023, known as Alfa Romeo). While there will be a major rebrand in 2026, Sauber remains the underlying team.

Stake F1 team marks a transition period between Alfa Romeo Sauber and Audi. While the current base of the team will probably remain in Switzerland, the new team is expected to compete under a German license from 2026.

The entrance of huge car manufacturing companies like Audi into F1 is exciting for many fans, and the expectations of the team are not small. The German manufacturer has competed in various motorsport series in the past and achieved notable success.

Examples include the WRC (World Rally Championship), where Audi won titles in 1982 and 1984, and the WEC (World Endurance Championship), where Audi won 24 hours of Le Mans with various models. 

The German team also achieved great success in DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) and Formula E. Being so successful in other series, Audi's entry into F1 is not to be underestimated by other teams.

Everyone will wait with great anticipation for the first race in Bahrain during the 2026 season to see where Audi will stand compared to established F1-dominating teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, or Mercedes.

At the beginning of 2024, Stake's (and possibly Audi's future) F1 director, James Key, already tried to temper expectations, saying Audi won't be the "final product" until 2027.

Audi will enter the sport under new, significantly different regulations. These regulations will most possibly shake up the current packing order and we can't wait to see how Audi will compare to other F1 teams.