Audi Unveils R26 Concept Ahead of 2026 F1 Entry

November 13, 2025

Audi's R26 concept F1 entry. Credit @audi on Instagram

As Audi gears up for its first F1 entry in 2026 as part of its full takeover of the Sauber team, it has released the first images of its R26 concept car, designed to give an idea of what its final 2026 car will resemble once we reach the track next year.

Heritage

The livery on the R26 shows no sponsor logos and may not completely mimic the final design, but the striking combination of silver, red and black will excite F1 fans looking for something a bit different to the current crop of designs.
Though it is meant to hark back to the heritage of Audi motorsport in other categories such as the famous Quattro rally cars and R10 TDI Le Mans car, it also gives a hint of "Vodafone McLaren", which fans of 2000's Formula 1 will be pleased by.

Audi's concept livery pays tribute to its past motorsport success. Credit @audi on Instagram

Audi stated in their release on Instagram, "Our entry into Formula 1 with the Audi R26 Concept is a commitment to a principle that has always guided us: we race for progress beyond the finish line. This commitment is built on the legacy of Audi Motorsport Icons - from the pioneering Auto Union Type C to the convention-breaking Audi RS Q e-tron."

Reception

Unfortunately for Audi, the reception, particularly on Instagram where they released the concept in collaboration with the official F1 account, has been poor. Many fans in the comments are lamenting the removal of the release livery that was used on a 2022 concept car when Audi announced their entry in 2022.
@dnt391 joked in one comment, "Underpaid the designer to fit the cost cap I see". Whilst @stews13 simply said, "Tragic livery".

Audi's 2022 unveiled launch livery. Credit: AutoMobile on Youtube

Personally, I never liked the livery used for the entry announcement. It's always nice to see something colourful and something different, especially in the era of teams removing sections of colour to save weight with exposed carbon. However, the orange was always too salmon-coloured and covered too much of the bottom of the car, and the black and silver stripes on the sidepods added way too much complexity. I think the updated 2026 concept is much cleaner. Sometimes, keeping it simple is better. Don't forget, this livery currently displays no sponsors either, which may add their own touch of colour in places, or simply fill out some of the areas that appear blank.

Time Will Tell

Audi is set to unveil their 2026 challenger in January, so we will have to wait until then to have our questions answered. Even then, most teams unveil their livery on "show cars" (concept cars, removing some of the more intricate and powerful aero designs for secrecy), so we probably won't see a genuine Audi F1 car until testing in Bahrain, as the Barcelona test earlier is behind closed doors. Until then, the R26 is all we have to go off and, I have to say, I'm excited to see what Audi can do.