Audi F1 boss issues clear mission statement upon grid arrival
Jonathan Wheatley has led Audi F1 through its transition from the Sauber identity.
Audi F1 team principal Jonathan Wheatley has said that the team is in the sport to win the ultimate prize of the World Championship.
That will not come immediately, with the team having stated upon the launch of its 2026 challenger that it aims to challenge for titles by the 2030 season.
Audi F1 ‘here to challenge, evolve, and ultimately, win’
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Audi has unveiled the colour scheme of its first official Formula 1 car, the R26, which incorporates a two-halved light and dark design, which appears to be an evolution of the R26 Concept car released in late 2025.
Having fully taken over the Sauber operation in 2025, the team will be adding its own factory power unit in the coming season and will look to steadily progress from ‘challenger’ status, all the way to championship challengers by 2030.
Wheatley, who has already tasted significant title success in Formula 1 with Benetton, Renault and Red Bull, said he is looking to install a championship mentality at a team which had traditionally been midfield runners for much of its existence prior to Audi’s takeover.
“Formula 1 is the most complex team sport in the world. It is powered by people,” he said.
“Our journey to the top is built on a clear plan, but it will be defined by our mindset: resilience, precision, and relentless curiosity.
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“We will build a team that embodies this. We are here to challenge, evolve, and ultimately, win.”
With the R26’s colour scheme having officially been unveiled, a titanium shade on the front of the car is accents of ‘Lava Red’ in the lining of its airbox and sidepods, with the same red colour being contrasted against black on the rear of the car, all punctuated with sponsorship and the ‘Four Rings’ logo.
A steady transition to an Audi works team has taken place since the brand announced it would be completing a full takeover of Sauber, with key personnel having been put in place to not only manage the change, but to put building blocks in place for Audi’s arrival.
Given the work that has taken place not just in Hinwil, but at Audi’s power unit base in Neuberg in Germany, and its UK technology centre in Bicester, Wheatley
“This car is the physical embodiment of thousands of hours of hard work from a hugely talented group of people across our facilities,” he said.
“Today, we start this journey with immense pride, but also with humility. This is just day one of a long campaign.
“Our mission is to embed a championship DNA into every fibre of this team. A culture of resilience, precision, and relentless curiosity where we stop at nothing to find performance.
“For everyone here, the excitement comes from this challenge: to build a team that gets stronger with every lap, every debrief, and every race.
“We will turn our long-term ambition into on-track reality, day by day, decision by decision.”
Starting at the beginning, though, Audi will join the rest of the teams at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for a shakedown test, with running allowed on three out of the five days available to offer plenty of time to gain valuable mileage between 26 and 30 January.
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