Audi · 2026

Audi R26

The Audi R26 is Audi’s car for the 2026 season, powered by a Audi AFR 26 Hybrid (works engine). Strong in: Pace on worn tyres, Top speed.

Updated 4 November 2026

Fact file

Car: Audi R26
Team: Audi
Engine: Audi AFR 26 Hybrid (works engine)
Launch: 20 January 2026 – launch at the Kraftwerk in Berlin

The car at a glance

The R26 is the first car of the Audi works team, which grew out of the former Sauber team. Audi builds both the car and the engine. The engine first fired up in the car in December 2025.

After 19 races the team is 8th in the constructors’ standings with 27 points. Its best race result so far is 8th. The car fell back as the season went on: in qualifying the better of its two cars was 10.4 on average in the first 7 races, and 12.2 in the last 5 races. In total the team declared 27 new parts for more speed to the FIA; the biggest package came at the Austrian Grand Prix (7 parts).

Audi is a completely new engine manufacturer in Formula 1 in 2026. Before the season Mattia Binotto said openly that the team would not have the best power unit. The car was launched at the Kraftwerk in Berlin.

Description as of 4 November 2026. The paragraph on the season is updated from the results after every race.

Technical data

Values the rules set for all teams, and details of the Audi R26. Anything not officially known is left out.

Specific to the Audi R26
Component	Value
Engine	Audi AFR 26 HybridWorks engine: built by the team itself or with a fixed partner (Audi).
Gearbox	Audi (own carbon-fibre main casing)8 forward gears and 1 reverse; the driver shifts with paddles on the steering wheel.
Front suspension	Push-rodWith push-rod, an angled strut pushes the forces from the wheel up to the springs and dampers; with pull-rod it pulls them down.
Rear suspension	Push-rod
Brakes	Brembo (calipers)
Fuel partner	bpAll teams use sustainable fuel in 2026; the partner blends it to FIA specifications.
Lubricants partner	Castrol

The same for all cars (rules)
Component	Value
Combustion engine	1.6-litre turbo V61600 cc displacement, 6 cylinders in a V (90 degrees), one turbocharger.
Maximum engine speed	15,000 rpmThe most revolutions per minute the engine’s crankshaft may turn.
Combustion engine power	around 400 kW (about 540 hp)Clearly less than up to 2025 – the electric motor delivers much more instead.
Electric motor (MGU-K)	up to 350 kW (about 470 hp)Recovers energy under braking and adds power when accelerating. Its power is reduced on very fast straights.
Total power	just over 1000 hpOnly as long as the battery supplies enough energy.
MGU-H	no longer usedThe second generator on the turbocharger was dropped for 2026.
Fuel	100% sustainableMade for example from captured CO₂, waste or non-food biomass.
Gearbox	8 forward gears, 1 reverseSequential and semi-automatic: the driver selects each gear, the shift itself is hydraulic.
Chassis	Carbon-fibre monocoqueThe rigid safety cell the driver sits in.
Minimum weight	724 kg plus tyres (768 kg)With driver, without fuel; 726 kg plus tyres in qualifying. Around 30 kg less than in 2025.
Width	at most 1900 mm10 cm narrower than up to 2025.
Wheelbase	at most 3400 mmDistance between the front and rear axles, 20 cm shorter than up to 2025.
Aerodynamics	active wings, no more DRSFront and rear wings go flat on straights (Straight Mode, less drag) and steep for corners (Corner Mode, more downforce); early announcements called this X- and Z-mode.
Tyres	Pirelli, 18 inchControl tyres: every team uses the same Pirelli tyres.

Technical data as of 4 November 2026.

More: how a Formula 1 car works

2026 team comparison

Calculated from official timing data, average over 19 race weekends (as of Mexico City Grand Prix 2026).

Strengths

Pace loss on one set of tyres: 2nd of 11 – the lap time gets 0.009 s faster per lap on a set of tyres on average.
Top speed: 4th of 11 – 327.1 km/h at the speed trap on average.

Weaknesses

Laps per set of tyres: 8th of 11 – 19.4 laps on one set of tyres on average.
Pit stop time: 8th of 11 – on average 2.00 s longer in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team in each race.

1st = best value of the eleven teams. The explanation is shown below each name.

2026 team comparison: Audi R26
Value	Audi R26	Rank
Top speedHighest speed measured at the speed trap on the straight, averaged over all race weekends. Higher is better.	327.1 km/h	4 of 11
Speed over one lap (qualifying)Gap from the team’s best qualifying lap to the fastest lap of the day, on average. 0 means it set the fastest lap itself. Lower is better.	+1.66 % (approx. 1.40 s)	7 of 11
Sector 1 (qualifying)Every track is split into three sectors. Gap to the best time in the first sector. Lower is better.	+1.83 %	7 of 11
Sector 2 (qualifying)Gap to the best time in the middle sector. Lower is better.	+1.83 %	7 of 11
Sector 3 (qualifying)Gap to the best time in the final sector. Lower is better.	+1.56 %	6 of 11
Race paceTypical lap time in the race (without the start, pit stops and safety car periods), gap to the fastest team. Lower is better.	+2.06 % (approx. 1.83 s)	7 of 11
Laps per set of tyresHow many laps a car ran on one set of tyres in the race, on average. More usually means the tyres last longer.	19.4 laps	8 of 11
Pace loss on one set of tyresHow the lap time changes from lap to lap on the same set of tyres. Wearing tyres make the car slower, the emptying fuel tank makes it faster. Lower is better; a minus means the car even got faster over the run.	−0.009 s per lap	2 of 11
Pit stop timeHow much longer a car spent in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team (driving through plus the tyre change). Lower is better.	+2.00 s	8 of 11

Top speedHighest speed measured at the speed trap on the straight, averaged over all race weekends. Higher is better.

Race paceTypical lap time in the race (without the start, pit stops and safety car periods), gap to the fastest team. Lower is better.

Pace loss on one set of tyresHow the lap time changes from lap to lap on the same set of tyres. Wearing tyres make the car slower, the emptying fuel tank makes it faster. Lower is better; a minus means the car even got faster over the run.

Pit stop timeHow much longer a car spent in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team (driving through plus the tyre change). Lower is better.

Upgrades during the season

As declared by the teams to the FIA before each Grand Prix (32 new or changed parts).

Reason given by the team: “performance” means the part is meant to make the car faster. “Circuit-specific” means it is adapted to one particular track, for example more cooling in the heat or less drag for long straights. “Reliability” means it is meant to prevent failures.

Upgrades during the season: Audi R26
Race	New or changed parts
Australian Grand PrixSeason start (changes since testing)	Front Wing, Sidepod Inlet, Sidepod Body (performance)
Chinese Grand Prix	Front Wing, Nose (performance)
Miami Grand Prix	Front Suspension, Floor Edge and Diffuser (performance)
Canadian Grand Prix	Floor Diffuser Winglet, Cooling Louvres (performance) Front Corner, Rear Corner (circuit-specific)
Monaco Grand Prix	Mirror, Engine Cover (performance) Front Wing, Rear Wing (circuit-specific)
Austrian Grand Prix	Front Wing Endplate, Front Corner, Floor, Rear Corner, Rear Suspension, Beam Wing, Rear Wing (performance)
Belgian Grand Prix	Diffuser (performance) Rear Wing (circuit-specific)
Hungarian Grand Prix	Rear Wing (performance)
Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Front Wing, Front Suspension, Floor Body, Halo, Rear Suspension, Beam Wing (performance)
United States Grand Prix	Front Corner, Front Floor, Mirror stay (performance)
Mexico City Grand Prix	Rear Corner (performance)

All 2026 cars · Team page · How a Formula 1 car works