While the Audi brand will make its debut in Formula 1 in 2026, its boss Gernot Döllner intends to see his team exploit the experience gained from programs in other disciplines to succeed in this new project.
The time for guesswork is almost over. From January 26, the 2026 Formula 1 single-seaters will be able to take to the track in Barcelona and one of those that will be closely watched will undoubtedly be the one wearing the Audi colors. Three and a half years after announcing its arrival on the starting grid, the German manufacturer will be able to gauge itself and begin to build a new, unprecedented chapter in its motorsport history. After having shone in endurance, in GT, in rallying, in Formula E or even in rally-raid, the “brand with the rings” tackles a discipline in which it is a novice.
However, the chairman of the board of directors of the brand Gernot Döllner assures in comments relayed by the specialized site Motorsport.com that the lessons learned from these previous sporting programs can be used in Formula 1. He even assures that “the experience of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will perhaps be of more use than Formula E”. A statement that he justifies by the fact that “the management between the thermal engine and the electrical system was more comparable to the new regulations”. However, from a component perspective,
it is in the electric single-seater championship that there are elements to exploit, being “a very good learning field”.
Binotto hopes to benefit from these experiences
“ We had to figure out how to improve efficiency in this championship, and how to manage energy », adds Gernot Döllner while this area will be key in the exploitation of the new engine giving a more important place to the electric motor compared to the thermal part. A hybrid system which, according to Mattia Binotto, will also benefit from lessons learned from Audi’s participation in the Dakar. “
This is clearly a great area of expertise, which is useful for our F1 project, and there is no doubt that it will hopefully give us an advantage. », added the team boss. He is now staying at the team which still bears the Sauber name for a few days to show himself in his best light from his first laps with his new car.
