Audi achieves "significant milestone" with its 2026 Formula One power unit

F1 Grand Prix, GP Great Britain, Silverstone Circuit

Work on the Power Unit for Audi’s Formula 1 entry has been underway for more than two years. The German manufacturer has now revealed details on how the work has progressed for the last two years.

In August 2022, Audi announced its plans to take over the Sauber F1 team in 2026 when new technical regulations will take effect. However, with changes in Audi's management, rumours had started to circulate multiple times that the German manufacturer might call off its F1 commitment.

This year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix then saw the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer confirm its plans to take a 100 percent stake in the Sauber Group. Audi announced that a corresponding agreement was reached with the current majority shareholder, Islero Investments AG.

In the meantime, Audi created a facility in Neuburg a. d. Donau which is responsible for the development of the F1 hybrid drive. Together with the Hinwil facility, the team from Neuburg will form the future factory team with which Audi will compete in the top class in 2026.

Commenting on the work Audi has done with its power unit, Adam Baker, who is the CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH, said that the German manufacturer has already simulated race distances with its power units.

"After just two years, our Power Unit, consisting of a combustion engine, electric motor, battery and control electronics, is running dynamically on the test bench.

"Successfully marrying the various components into a single unit is the result of hard work and great teamwork. The Audi Power Unit has already covered simulated race distances on the test bench.

"We gained a lot of testing time with the individual components in 2023 and were able to incorporate the experience gained into the next construction stages in parallel. Significant milestones and goals have been achieved, which gives the entire team a good feeling," noted Baker.

Audi Formula Racing's CTO Stefan Dreyer revealed that the the company's test facility has gone through a significant modernization in order to meet the standards set by rival Formula One engine manufacturers.

"We implemented a very ambitious modernization and expansion of our test facility. Today, we have 22 state-of-the-art test benches at the site.

"Our new development tools are state-of-the-art and have enabled us to achieve a steep learning curve. By testing on the test bench under simulated racing conditions we gain important insights in this phase of the project.

"After the successful race distances with the Power Unit we will soon be doing the same with the entire drive system, which means the combination of Power Unit and transmission.

"At the same time, we are going full throttle with performance development in order to achieve the goals we have set ourselves.

Audi uses different tracks from the current F1 calendar to test its power unit on the test bench with Dreyer claiming that certain tracks providing the German manufacturer with interesting data.

“We run the Power Unit on the test bench with different layouts from the current F1 calendar, depending on the purpose of the test.

“For example, Las Vegas is interesting for our development team in terms of overall energy management. Several alternating fast and slow corners and almost two kilometers of full throttle driving on the Las Vegas Strip provide the perfect development environment for fine-tuning the combustion engine and the ERS (Energy Recovery System) components.

Dreyer has revealed that while the F1 project is new for Audi, its previous projects have helped it design the F1 power unit for the 2026 season.

“It was particularly important to establish a broad base in all areas, to create a good foundation for the development of the individual components – combustion engine, electric motor, battery, control electronics, software – to coordinate them with each other at an early stage.

“Our experience from previous motorsport projects with high-voltage technology, Le Mans, Formula E, but also from the current Dakar project, has helped us a lot. We have already proven in the past that we can develop conventional, hybridized and purely electric drivetrains.

“Nevertheless, the challenge in Formula 1 is a completely different one in terms of cutting-edge technology and competition. This also applies to our partners and suppliers – we are experiencing a very strong commitment from all sides.

Speaking of the construction of the Neuburg facility, Baker noted: “There have been special milestones almost every month since the start of the project in spring 2022, for example the start of construction for our infrastructure expansion, the start of testing for the single-cylinder, the first test bench run of the electric motor and the V6 engine and the first race distances with the complete Power Unit.

“The fact that our entire team can fully concentrate on the development of the Power Unit for 2026 is an advantage for Audi. The remaining time until 2026 is all about achieving our development goals in terms of maximum overall vehicle performance with full focus. It will remain exciting until the first race – and after that, of course, too.

“Intensity is a good keyword for our performance development. The regulations allow a total of three test benches for single-cylinder tests, for example, which are not limited by the FIA in terms of operating times.

“We use this maximum number at the facility as intensively as possible for the development of combustion processes for internal combustion engines. So far, we have achieved all the targets we set ourselves for performance and efficiency in this phase.

“In addition, our fuel development has been running since 2022 with a strong partner who has many years of experience in Formula 1. This is a really decisive factor for our project, as the new sustainable fuel for 2026 will have even greater competitive relevance,” said Baker.