Due to the technical developments achieved by the FIA to lower costs and improve sustainability, Audi decided to participate in Formula One in 2026. For the competition, it will develop a unique hybrid engine.
Audi Will Produce Hybrid Engines for Its First Formula 1 Appearance
The German carmaker Audi has officially announced that it would participate in Formula One starting with the 2026 season, following months of teasers, suspicions, and speculation. The VW-owned company asserts that a brand-new hybrid engine will be produced for the event at its Neuburg facility.
Audi said that the FIA's technological innovations to reduce costs and increase sustainability had an impact on their choice to participate. The sport's ambitious ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 is anticipated to get help from Audi.
According to the FIA's new engine standards, a V6 engine with a cleaner fuel mixture is required. 544 horsepower will be produced by a 400kW electric motor, nearly as much as the V6. The initiative will be overseen by Adam Baker, a former FIA Safety Director who has previously worked for Cosworth, BMW, and other companies.
Although the majority of Formula One fans think the deal has already been chosen, Audi claimed it would announce it before the end of this year. According to the persistent rumor, Audi will buy most Swiss racing team Sauber, who now races under Alfa Romeo liveries.
Planet F1 claims that Sauber has previously been discussed as a potential purchase target this year and may benefit from having a significant automaker on its side. It's uncertain how these will impact the Drive to Survive storylines as Audi's first race is still a few years away.
Audi and Porsche Will Have Separate Formula 1 Entries
Audi and Porsche had a lengthy discussion about the potential for pooling their resources before agreeing to maintain their separate new Formula 1 initiatives. Both Volkswagen Group entities are expected to make their Formula One debuts in 2026. On Friday morning, Audi announced the single-engine initiative.
The VW Group brands were anticipated to merge their resources to keep any F1 endeavor affordable when Porsche and Audi's interest in the sport became public. The Le Mans 24 Hours and Formula E have seen Porsche and Audi competing, despite their announcement that they would be separate ventures earlier this year.
Markus Duesmann, the CEO of Audi, said, "We raced Porsche in Le Mans with completely separate operations, and in this case as well, we will have completely separate operations." If Porsche participates, they will run in the UK.
The engine will be made in an Audi factory in Neuburg a der Donau, which is close to Audi's corporate headquarters in Ingolstadt. If the business buys Sauber, the car will be designed and built in Switzerland.
Porsche will collaborate with the newly established Red Bull Powertrains plant and share a Milton Keynes location with the racing team of that organization.
Because both brands had a sizable following and distinctive personalities, Duesmann said that there was much dispute on how to approach the dual initiatives. They ultimately made the decision to maintain total separation between them and conduct two entities.
A Porsche team working with Red Bull and an Audi-owned team developing its car presented logistical issues, according to Oliver Hoffmann, the company's chief technical officer. He believed a standard engine would have interfered too much with different car designs.
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