In 2028, the third season they will be active in Formula 1, Audi wants to compete for victories. That is, says CEO Adam Baker of Audi Formula Racing, a “realistic goal”.
Audi will enter Formula 1 in 2026 after years of interest in participating in the premier class of motorsport. The German car brand does so as a works team after a deal with Sauber, which recently appointed former McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl as CEO to manage the transition at Audi.
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It will therefore not be a completely new team, although there is one clear change: Sauber will remain responsible for the chassis, Audi will produce the fuel sources. At Audi they already have high expectations for the new project. “We want to be competitive within three years,” said Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing LIKE. “This is a realistic goal. We want to compete for victories in season three.”
The fact that Audi already knows it will participate in Formula 1 from 2026 is a big plus, according to Baker. “We have 42 months until the first race. This has to be one of the first decisions made by a manufacturer in the last thirty years,” said the CEO. “Moreover, 2026 is the start of a new regulatory cycle, while others have usually entered during such a cycle” .
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“The powertrains will change, but so will the chassis,” continues Baker. “In a way, the advantage of the experienced teams can be reversed and it becomes easier for new manufacturers to compete,” said the Australian-born German.
