Audi’s outfit has become the fourth constructor to unveil its livery for the 2026 season. It will be the first year the former Sauber competes in the colours of German Audi. At a season launch event held at Kraftwerk in the German capital Berlin, the team introduced the R26 to the world for the first time.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner was joined at the launch of the brand-new R26 by Mattia Binotto – head of Audi’s Formula 1 project – team principal Jonathan Wheatley and drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. As expected, the livery is predominantly silver, with red and black touches. The famous four-ring logo is also prominent. Earlier the squad had already revealed the colour scheme for their very first Formula 1 car. Audi was, in early January, the first team to put its car through a shakedown in Barcelona.
‘Exceptionally exciting’
Nico Hülkenberg, fresh off his return to Sauber, is now embarking on a new chapter with Audi. The German star is eager to help the manufacturer further build the team. “We are a true factory team with a clear long-term vision, supported by enormous resources and world-class expertise,” Hülkenberg says in Berlin. “For a driver it is exceptionally exciting to be involved with Audi from the very beginning. We have the chance to build something very special together and I look forward to putting this car on track in Melbourne.”
Also Gabriel Bortoleto — who stands on the eve of his second season in Formula 1 — is ready to take up the mantle as an Audi driver. “Racing for the Four Rings, a marque with such an iconic and successful history in motorsport, is simply a dream come true,” the Brazilian says. “You grow up on stories about Audi’s dominance at Le Mans and in rallying, and now being chosen to carry that legacy into Formula 1 is an incredible honour. This is the opportunity of my life.”
“I feel the weight of responsibility, but more than that I feel an incredible drive to learn, push and grow with this team,” Bortoleto continues. “I’m ready to give everything to help write this great chapter for the Audi Revolut F1 Team.”
