Audi’s recent update on their 2026 entrance into the sport has revealed noteworthy successes. Since announcing their intent to take over the Sauber F1 team in August 2022, Audi has been diligently preparing, and aligning with Formula 1’s upcoming technical regulations change.

A central element of Audi’s Formula 1 preparation has been the establishment of a high-tech development facility in Neuburg a. d. Donau, specifically designed for creating their F1 hybrid drive. This site, along with Hinwil, is set to become the center hub for Audi’s future factory team.

Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH, shared the following update, as quoted by F1Technical.net:

“After just two years, our Power Unit, consisting of a combustion engine, electric motor, battery and control electronics, is running dynamically on the test bench.

“Successfully marrying the various components into a single unit is the result of hard work and great teamwork. The Audi Power Unit has already covered simulated race distances on the test bench.

“We gained a lot of testing time with the individual components in 2023 and were able to incorporate the experience gained into the next construction stages in parallel. Significant milestones and goals have been achieved, which gives the entire team a good feeling.”

The progress didn’t stop at the Power Unit alone. Audi has expanded testing to include the transmission, simulating full drive system performance under race conditions. Significant technological trials have also taken place on diverse track layouts, including the formidable Las Vegas track. Audi Formula Racing’s CTO Stefan Dreyer also commented:

“We implemented a very ambitious modernization and expansion of our test facility. Today, we have 22 state-of-the-art test benches at the site.

“Our new development tools are state-of-the-art and have enabled us to achieve a steep learning curve. By testing on the test bench under simulated racing conditions we gain important insights in this phase of the project.

“After the successful race distances with the Power Unit we will soon be doing the same with the entire drive system, which means the combination of Power Unit and transmission.

“At the same time, we are going full throttle with performance development in order to achieve the goals we have set ourselves.

“We run the Power Unit on the test bench with different layouts from the current F1 calendar, depending on the purpose of the test.

“For example, Las Vegas is interesting for our development team in terms of overall energy management. Several alternating fast and slow corners and almost two kilometers of full throttle driving on the Las Vegas Strip provide the perfect development environment for fine-tuning the combustion engine and the ERS (Energy Recovery System) components.”

Dreyer continued:

“It was particularly important to establish a broad base in all areas, to create a good foundation for the development of the individual components – combustion engine, electric motor, battery, control electronics, software – to coordinate them with each other at an early stage.

“Our experience from previous motorsport projects with high-voltage technology, Le Mans, Formula E, but also from the current Dakar project, has helped us a lot. We have already proven in the past that we can develop conventional, hybridized and purely electric drivetrains.

“Nevertheless, the challenge in Formula 1 is a completely different one in terms of cutting-edge technology and competition. This also applies to our partners and suppliers – we are experiencing a very strong commitment from all sides.”