Audi F1 to reveal its challenger’s design in China

Audi are set to reveal more details about their Formula One project at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, which will be held from April 18 to 27.

The German automotive giant is set to enter F1 in 2026 both as a power unit supplier and also as Sauber’s strategic partner, which will see the team become the Audi works team.

Audi acquired a minority stake in Sauber after announcing a buyout of the Swiss team last year. They are set to use Sauber's facility in Hinwil for chassis manufacturing and build their power unit in Neuburg, Bavaria.

According to Automotive News Europe, Audi, owned by the Volkswagen Group, plan to display a show car and give an update on how their F1 project is developing at the Shanghai event. China is the Volkswagen Group's biggest market and also has a huge base of F1 fans, two reasons why Audi picked Shanghai for the F1 team’s public debut, according to the company's spokesperson.

They told PlanetF1:

“We will present our Formula 1 project at the Shanghai motor show in April. This is very important for us because China is for sure an important market for Formula 1 but also our biggest market for Audi worldwide.”

They added:

“We want to present our project and also bring it closer to the fans because there was no Chinese Grand Prix for the last three years and we thought it might be a good idea to present our show car with the Audi launch livery there during the motor show.”

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Audi F1 team shares ‘realistic’ plans to ‘fight at the front’

Audi Formula Racing GmbH CEO Adam Baker is cautiously optimistic about what Audi can achieve in Formula 1.

While eager to make their mark in F1, Baker has acknowledged that Audi will need time to be competitive in the sport. He said:

“Anyone who’s passionate about racing would say we want to be competitive in the first year. But obviously, we recognise the magnitude of the challenge we have in front of us. Our intent is to be able to fight at the front within three years, which we think is realistic.”

Audi have reportedly acquired a 25% stake in Sauber and will add another 25% next season. This will rise to 75% in 2025 post acquisition of another 25% stake within the team.