P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Audi are spending £2bn on F1 and their new car already leaked
The Audi F1 team faced challenges during their car launch event this week, as the car design was leaked before the official unveiling, as reported by German media. Audi, the German car manufacturer, acquired the Sauber team and is preparing for their debut season in F1 as both a power unit manufacturer and a team. The core Sauber team, including principal Jonathan Wheatley and drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, remains intact for the 2026 season under Audi ownership. Despite the hiccup, Audi was the first team to showcase their 2026 car design on track in Barcelona during a promotional filming day earlier in January. At the official season launch event in Berlin, technical details of the R26 car were accidentally revealed on the live stream, disrupting the planned presentation. Audi aims to compete in the midfield in 2026, building on Sauber’s performance from the previous year, with ambitions of becoming championship contenders by 2030 under the leadership of Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley.
