Audi will enter the Formula 1 World Championship from 2026 as a supplier of power units, the German company announced on Friday.
From 2026, the new Formula 1 regulations will put more emphasis on the electrical component of the power units, a prerequisite for Audi’s decision to enter the World Championship.
The new propellants will be made up of a battery, electronics, combustion engine and electric motor, which will consume practically the same power as the 1.6-liter internal combustion engine, which will use more sustainable fuels.
“I want to officially announce that Audi will be registered as a Formula 1 engine builder. Also, in 2026 we will start competing” in the World Championship, says the executive director of Audi, Markus Duesmann, at the margin of the Belgian Grand Prix, which is held on Sunday.
The same person in charge stressed that “racing is part of Audi’s DNA”.
“If we think about Le Mans and the [Rali] Dakar, we were always successful. It is the ideal time for us to enter F1, with the change in regulations”, added Markus Duesmann.
For now, it has not yet been announced if Audi will manage its own team or if it will only be an engine supplier.
The German brand is the second most successful in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the most famous automobile endurance event, with 13 victories, after having started developing electric motors in 2012.
Source: Observadora
