Audi F1 shakedown footage emerges as first F1 2026 car hits the track

Fan footage has emerged of the Audi F1 team’s filming day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday.

Audi is preparing for its first season in Formula 1 after completing its full takeover and rebrand of the previous Sauber team ahead of the F1 2026 campaign.

Footage emerges of Audi F1 2026 shakedown in Barcelona

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As reported by PlanetF1.com, it emerged on Thursday that Audi would be the first team to take to the track with its 2026 car on Friday in Barcelona.

Footage filmed at the circuit has spread on social media showing Audi’s first F1 car, the R26, on track at the Spanish Grand Prix venue.

The footage shows the Audi on track in an all-black livery.

Audi’s maiden outing comes after the team lifted the lid on its first full-car fire up earlier this week.

The first fire up, which took place at the team’s Hinwil factory on December 19, represented a milestone moment in the team’s 2026 preparations as chassis and engine came together for the first time.

An F1 2026 car on track!

Footage has emerged of Audi’s filming day at Barcelona, running a blacked out livery 🔍pic.twitter.com/4FBVwz1IWa

— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) January 9, 2026

Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto admitted that he had “goosebumps everywhere” as his new car came to life for the first time.

In a clip posted to social media, Bortoleto said: “When they were revving up the engine I was getting goosebumps everywhere. I just want to drive it.

“I don’t feel like I can describe [it] very easily. It sounds amazing.”

Bortoleto, a former McLaren junior, is preparing for his second full season in F1 in 2026 having made his debut with Sauber last year.

The Brazilian remains alongside veteran teammate Nico Hulkenberg, 38, who collected the first podium finish of his F1 career at last year’s British Grand Prix.

Audi, which announced a title sponsorship agreement with global banking giant Revolut last year, will officially launch its 2026 car in Berlin on January 20, six days before returning to Barcelona for the start of F1 2026 pre-season testing.

Teams will be permitted to carry out running on any three of the five available days of the official Barcelona test, which is being held behind closed doors between January 26 and January 30.

Two further winter tests will be held in Bahrain across February 11-13 and 18-20 before the F1 2026 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8.

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