Audi have set their sights on a Formula 1 world title by 2030, but comments made during their 2026 launch suggest they’re not expecting immediate results.
While Sauber had long-standing ties with Ferrari for power units, Audi chose to go a different route, developing their own engine. That new power unit got its first run during a shakedown in Barcelona earlier this month.
Initial reports indicated that the session went off without any major issues. However, team boss Mattia Binotto has since clarified that things didn’t go as smoothly as first thought.
Mattia Binotto speaks honestly about Audi’s F1 shakedown issues
Binotto admitted that Audi ran into some ‘problems’ during their initial test, though he was quick to frame them as learning opportunities.
With pre-season testing just around the corner and the Australian Grand Prix only six weeks away, the Italian conceded his team aren’t ‘ready’ yet.
One thing working in Audi’s favour is that even experienced names like Honda are also dealing with similar performance and reliability concerns.
“We are not ready, we are still facing problems, we are still not at the level of performance we would be,” Binotto told F1’s official website. “Our power train and power unit are not yet driveable as they should be but that’s all normal.
“It’s not unexpected so I can say even the filming day maybe was not a successful day. But it was a positive one because we face problems, but those problems were useful for us to further learn and further prepare for the start of the season and the next test at the end of the month in Barcelona.”
Audi’s 2026 F1 car is under the weight limit
On a more positive note, journalist Mark Hughes has shared rumours that Audi are one of only two teams currently at the weight limit. The other is Alpine, who finished bottom of the standings last year and are now running a Mercedes power unit for the first time.
According to Hughes, this may be down to designing a physically smaller car – something Sauber had leaned into after the 2022 regulation changes. Despite losing points for running underweight during parts of that season, Sauber still managed to finish sixth in the standings with 55 points. If Audi can replicate anything close to that result, it would be considered a huge success.
Even before their first race, Audi have found themselves in conflict with Mercedes and Red Bull over fuel compression tactics. The team have already called on the FIA to step in and address what they believe are questionable practices by their rivals.
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