Audi presented its first Formula 1 car in Berlin on 20 January 2026 ahead of its debut world championship season. The launch marked the formal arrival of one of the sport’s most anticipated new manufacturer entries.
Audi officially unveiled its first Formula 1 car in Berlin on 20 January 2026, giving public form to a project that had been building for years. The launch event at Kraftwerk Berlin marked the first public appearance of the Audi factory team ahead of its entry into the Formula 1 World Championship in 2026.
The moment carried obvious weight. Audi was not entering as a short-term branding exercise, but as a full manufacturer effort built around its own identity, its own technical programme and a long-planned route onto the grid. That made the unveiling more than a standard car presentation. It was the public start of Audi’s first full campaign in Formula 1.
The car itself, named the R26, represented the beginning of Audi’s competitive life in a season shaped by major regulation changes. Like every team, Audi had to interpret a new technical package, but it also had to do so while launching a new works operation under intense scrutiny. That raised the stakes from the outset.
Berlin therefore served as both showcase and statement. The event introduced the team, the car and Audi’s ambitions in a single moment, underlining that the brand saw Formula 1 as a serious long-term programme rather than a symbolic debut. For the championship, it was the arrival of another major manufacturer. For Audi, it was the point where planning became reality.
