Following the acquisition of Sauber Motorport, Audi made its long-awaited debut in Formula 1 in 2026.
While the takeover of an established team is nothing out of the ordinary in the ever-changing landscape of the sport, the introduction of a brand-new power unit supplier, in this case Audi Formula Racing GmbH, is noteworthy.
They join Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, and Red Bull Ford Powertrains as the 2026 engine suppliers.
The team may have a new name, livery, and engine, but they have retained Kick Sauber's two drivers from last year, with veteran Nico Hulkenberg teaming up with Gabriel Bortoleto, who enters his second year as a Formula 1 driver.
Predecessors Sauber secured their first and only Formula 1 race victory in the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix as Robert Kubica took the win ahead of teammate Nick Heidfeld, with that one-two finish securing two of the team's 28 podiums.
The most recent of these came in the 2025 British Grand Prix as Nico Hulkenberg took his first ever podium, and Sauber's first since 2012, after 239 race starts.
Current drivers
Audi retained Sauber's 2025 lineup of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2026 season.
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg began his Formula 1 career with AT&T Williams in the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix after winning the 2009 Formula 2 Championship. The German has taken part in 16 of the last 17 Formula 1 seasons, holding a full-time seat in 14 of those.
The 38-year-old is one of the longest-standing drivers on the grid, and he waited a record amount of time before securing his first podium in the sport.
Starting 19th on the grid, he took his maiden podium in the 2025 British Grand Prix in his 240th Formula 1 race start, with that coming almost 15 years after his first and only pole position in the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Gabriel Bortoleto
After winning the 2024 Formula 2 season with Invicta Racing to become the fourth driver to secure the F3 and F2 titles in successive years, Gabriel Bortoleto made an inauspicious start to his Formula 1 career, retiring from his debut Australian Grand Prix and waiting until round 11 of the season before taking his first points for Sauber.
Despite the disappointing early-season results, the young Brazilian put in plenty of impressive performances in his rookie season, including a career-best sixth-place finish in the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Team Principal
Mattia Binotto
Mattia Binotto took charge of Audi's Team Principal duties following the March 2026 departure of Jonathan Wheatley.
The 56-year-old is also Head of the Audi F1 Project and brings a wealth of experience to the team, having been Team Principal of Ferrari between 2019 and 2022.
This promotion came after a series of successful roles in the Ferrari engine department, including Race Engine Chief Engineer, Head of the Engine Department, and Chief Technical Officer of the Italian team.
Binotto resigned from Ferrari after 27 years at the company in December 2022 and, after taking some time away from the sport, returned in 2024 as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer at Sauber Motorsport.
Ownership
Audi AG
Audi AG is a German car manufacturer founded in 1909 by engineer August Horch. The company's more well-known era began in the 1960s, when Auto Union was acquired by the Volkswagen Group, relaunching the Audi brand.
Headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, Gernot Dollner is the CEO of the company, which has an estimated annual revenue approaching €65 billion.
Audi announced it would enter Formula 1 as a power unit manufacturer in 2022 and later that year acquired a stake in the Sauber Formula 1 team.
Notable Achievements (including Sauber)
Pole positions: 1 (2008 Bahrain Grand Prix)
Podiums: 28
Top drivers: Sebastian Vettel (4 World Championships), Jacques Villeneuve (1 World Championship), Kimi Raikkonen (1 World Championship), Robert Kubica, Charles Leclerc, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez
