Audi hopes to shake up the established order in Formula 1

In 2026, Formula 1 will enter a new era with a completely new engine regulation. In partnership with Sauber, Audi will join the premier discipline and hopes to quickly achieve results and shake up the established order among the top teams.

Interviewed by PlanetF1, the CEO of Audi Formula Racing, Adam Baker, acknowledges the magnitude of the challenge but hopes to be ready to fight by 2026: “We recognize the magnitude of the challenge ahead of us. Our intention is to be able to compete at the forefront within three years, which we believe is realistic,” he says. Adam Baker is not unknown in the world of motorsport: he starts his career in 2001 with the Infinity team in Indycar, before joining F1 as a race engineer at Cosworth, Arrow, Jordan, Jaguar, Minardi, BMW, Williams, and finally Sauber. In 2018, he was appointed Director of Safety at the FIA, a position he held for three years.

A hand in hand work with Sauber

The arrival of a new regulation is set to shake things up in F1 and be a great opportunity for the incoming teams: « What is also important is the magnitude of the expected changes for 2026. When considering both power unit and chassis, the changes are expected to be the most significant in modern sports history. So, it is both a huge challenge and a great opportunity for the newcomers », says Adam Beker. As a member of the Volkswagen Group, Audi was supposed to join F1 alongside Porsche, but due to not finding a team, the German brand closes the door on F1. For Audi, things have been much easier by signing a strategic and engine partnership with Sauber, who already have a strong relationship: « We are very happy to have obtained Sauber as a partner for our project. There has been a long-standing relationship between Sauber and Audi, particularly regarding successful technical collaboration in past motorsport projects such as DTM or LMP1 », says Beker.

Audi is also excited to work with Sauber on the car for 2026 and ensures that they do not want to interfere with Sauber’s decisions during the intermediate seasons. « We are working with Sauber Technologies, which is generally responsible for their activities outside of F1. We are developing the power unit and the concept of the car truly together as a united technical team », emphasizes the CEO of Audi, before assuring that « apart from technical activities, there is no involvement of Audi within Sauber ».