Audi presents its Formula 1 project in China

• F1 demonstration car with Audi Launch livery at Auto Shanghai

• Power unit development at the Neuburg plant is in full swing

• Innovation and efficiency are at the center of the development team’s concerns

Audi presents its Formula 1 project in China for the first time from April 18 to 27: the F1 show car with the astonishing Audi Launch livery is a central element of the brand’s presence at Auto Shanghai. Audi CEO Markus Duesmann gave an overview of the project’s progress at the press conference.

Under the motto “F1 Power made in Germany”, the company is preparing to enter the upper class of motorsport. From 2026, Audi will compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with its own factory team and a power unit developed in Germany. “Motorsport is an integral part of our DNA,” said Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, at Auto Shanghai. “We are convinced that our commitment to Formula 1 will strengthen Audi’s sporting focus. The racing series is constantly increasing its global reach, particularly among young target groups and in our most important sales market: China”. The Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Asia could not take place for the fourth time in a row due to the pandemic, making it even more excited to give Chinese Formula 1 fans a taste of Audi’s future commitment to the top class of motorsport.

“The Audi Formula 1 project has really taken off in recent months,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Directors for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “In the ongoing design phase of the power unit, the foundations for our powertrain for 2026 are being laid today. We attach great importance to detailed work, for example on materials or manufacturing technologies, and we also focus on topics such as hybrid powertrain energy management. After all, efficiency is a key success factor for Formula 1 and the mobility of the future, and these approaches will advance both worlds,” says Mr. Hoffmann.

A single-cylinder engine tested since the end of 2022 provides valuable information for the development, setup of the test bench and validation of the measuring instruments. The first complete hybrid powertrain, consisting of the combustion engine, electric motor, battery and electronic control unit, is expected to go to the test bench before the end of the year and will form the basis of the future concept of vehicle. In addition, the dynamic development simulator in Neuburg will be upgraded to Formula 1 standards and will help advance the development of the Audi power unit.

In the meantime, the formation of the team at the Neuburg location has. d. Donau, under the umbrella of the specially created Audi Formula Racing GmbH, is in full swing. More than 260 specialists are already on board. The core of the development team consists of experienced Audi Sport and Audi employees with many years of expertise in the field of electric motorsport. They are joined by Formula 1 specialists who have been recruited from outside and who will strengthen the team in a targeted manner. By the end of the year, hiring is expected to be complete and the team will grow to over 300 employees.

At the same time, the Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg will be expanded for the Formula 1 project. From the second half of the year, additional test stands for powertrain development will be installed in a new building with an area of approximately 3,000 square meters. Thanks to a modular design, the state-of-the-art test benches can be put into operation even before the building is completely completed at the beginning of 2024. The electricity and heat supply in Neuburg is already energy-neutral. of CO₂: The installation is supplied with district heating from the heat of industrial waste and green electricity from hydroelectric power stations. The world governing body FIA has awarded the venue its Three Star Environmental Label, the highest accolade for environmental conservation and sustainability. Audi’s goal is to continue to supply CO₂-neutral energy for the Formula 1 project in Neuburg and to establish a regenerative energy supply at the site.

Sustainability also plays an important role in the top class of motorsport. The regulations, which will apply from 2026, focus on greater electrification, the electric powertrain (MGU-K) will then have almost as much power as the combustion engine. The highly efficient 1.6-liter turbocharged engines will be powered by sustainable synthetic fuel. Thanks to open competition, Formula 1 thus serves as a technological engine for electromobility and sustainable biofuels. Additionally, Formula 1 has set itself the goal of becoming carbon neutral1 as a racing series by 2030.

The emphasis on sustainability and profitability in the form of a budget ceiling, the so-called “cost cap”, were important factors for Audi’s entry into Formula 1, which was officially announced at the end of August 2022. Audi has chosen the experienced Swiss team Sauber as a strategic partner for the deployment of an Audi factory team in Formula 1 from 2026.