Audi drops the bombshell! New F1 team revealed as 2026 beast gets global launch date

 

Audi has formally announced that it will enter Formula One (F1) in 2026 as the Audi Revolut F1 team, completing its full takeover of Sauber and retiring the Sauber name after 32 years in the sport. The team revealed a new logo that merges Audi’s four rings with the branding of its title partner Revolut, the global financial technology company. This identity was unveiled alongside the announcement of a global launch event for the 2026 challenger, set for the 20^th of January 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

Over the last two years, Audi has spent the time upgrading and integrating its motorsport infrastructure across. Germany, Audi’s power unit development hub as well as Switzerland, Sauber’s Hinwil base which is now fully transitioning into Audi’s chassis headquarters. Last but certainly not least, the United Kingdom where additional technical and operational support sites. These upgrades were designed to ensure Audi is competitive from day one with the company stating it has “enhanced their bases across Germany, Switzerland and the UK,” to prepare for its 2026 debut.

Audi has confirmed that its first full F1 team identity and livery will be unveiled at a global launch event in Berlin on the 20^th of January 2026. The event is described as a “spectacular immersive launch,” designed to introduce the Audi Revolut F1 Team to the world as it prepares for its debut season under the new 2026 regulations.

Revolut and Audi are positioning the launch as a fan centric showcase with several elements highlighted in official announcements. Open event spaces allowing fans to attend and see the livery in person. Interactive and immersive displays built around Audi’s brand pillars of clarity, technical intelligence as well as emotion. A push to use Revolut’s technology to create new forms of fan engagement, including activations and app based experience. This approach signals Audi’s intention to enter F1 not just as a manufacturer but as major commercial and cultural force.

The Berlin event will reveal the full race livery for Audi’s first F1 car, marking the team’s transition from Sauber to a full factory entry. Audi spent years preparing for 2026, upgrading facilities across Germany, Switzerland and the UK to ensure it is competitive from day one. The launch signals the final phase of that preparation – a public declaration that Audi intends to shake up the grid immediately.

With new power unit rules, reduced aero wake and major chassis changes coming in 2026, Audi’s entry is one of the most anticipated manufacturer arrivals since Mercedes in 2010. The Berlin launch is the first moment the world will see how Audi interprets the new regulations and how serious its ambitions are.

📸 Imagery courtesy of Formula One