Audi is reportedly set to cause a major surprise in Formula 1 – The German manufacturer’s long-awaited entry into Formula 1 appears to be happening sooner than expected. According to reports, the German manufacturer is preparing an early on-track debut for its new car, a move that has taken much of the paddock by surprise and demonstrates how seriously Audi is taking its future in the sport.

According to the portal RacingNews365, Audi will run its Formula 1 car on a race circuit for the first time this coming Friday. The location is Barcelona, a familiar venue for Formula 1 teams, which will host the sport’s official winter test sessions from 26 to 30 January. Although Audi is not yet officially competing, this early appearance clearly signals the project’s momentum.

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Exciting plan revealed

The Barcelona outing is expected to take place during one of the tightly regulated filming days permitted under Formula 1 rules. Each team is permitted just two of these events per year, with strict limitations: no more than 100 kilometres of running per day, and the mandatory use of special Pirelli tyres that differ significantly from standard Grand Prix compounds. These restrictions mean that the focus will be on system checks, reliability and basic correlation between simulation and reality rather than outright performance.

Despite these limitations, the significance of Audi’s planned run should not be underestimated. A first appearance on the track, even under filming-day conditions, represents a major milestone in any Formula 1 project. It enables engineers to validate installation concepts, cooling layouts and fundamental vehicle behaviour, while also providing the team with real-world data.

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The first fire-up marks a milestone

Audi has officially confirmed another crucial step in its Formula 1 journey: the successful ‘fire-up’ of its new car. This momentous occasion, when the power unit was started inside the chassis for the first time, took place on 19 December 2025 at the team’s headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland — just days before Christmas.

For any Formula 1 operation, the first start-up is a defining moment. It signals that years of design, development and integration work have culminated in the car existing as a functioning whole rather than a collection of components.

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Binotto and Wheatley set the tone

Mattia Binotto, head of Audi’s Formula 1 project, described the occasion as symbolic of much more than technical progress. ‘A fire-up is always a special moment, but this one marks a new beginning,’ Binotto said. ‘It is the tangible result of our joint efforts and the dedicated work of our teams.’

The former Ferrari team principal emphasised the emotional impact within the organisation. Seeing the project come together has, he explained, injected fresh energy and belief into the team while also laying “a solid foundation for a long journey” defined by continuous improvement.

Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley shared this optimism. He described the successful fire-up as an “important milestone” that validates the quality of work carried out across departments and strengthens focus ahead of the next development phases.

With an early Barcelona run reportedly imminent, Audi’s Formula 1 project appears to be progressing from the conceptual stage to reality, and doing so with increasing confidence.

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Former Verstappen associate becomes team manager

Lee Stevenson, Audi’s newly appointed team manager, is also expected to be spotted in the Barcelona pit lane. The Englishman recently announced his promotion from chief mechanic to team manager on LinkedIn, marking another important development in Audi’s evolving Formula 1 structure.

Stevenson is a highly respected figure in the paddock. After spending 18 years at Red Bull Racing, during which time he worked closely with world champion Max Verstappen as chief mechanic, he joined Sauber in early 2024. Sauber described the move as a major coup at the time, bringing in one of the sport’s most experienced operational leaders.

Announcing his new role, Stevenson wrote, ‘I am pleased to announce that I have taken up my post as the new team manager.’ When confirming his departure from Red Bull earlier, he reflected on his extraordinary journey, which spanned from the RB2 to the dominant RB19 of 2023. He thanked his colleagues for their support over the last two decades.

At Audi, Stevenson now reports to team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who is also a former chief mechanic and long-time Red Bull team manager. Together, they form a management duo with in-depth knowledge of Formula 1 operations and regulations — precisely the expertise that Audi has been seeking for its ambitious project.

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NEXT ARTICLE – Ferrari’s 2 cars designed for 2026. More Maranello madness?

The six race run in which concluded the 2024 Formula One season did not quite have the excitement of 2025 where the drivers’ championship was decided at the final chequered flag of the season. Max Verstappen in fact claimed the 2024 title in Las Vegas with two race weekends remaining.

However in terms of the constructors’ championship, the 2024 run in was nail biting for McLaren who once held a 74 point lead over Ferrari as the sport embarked on its final two triple header six races.

Two wins together with six podiums from Austin to Abu Dhabi saw the Scuderia come within just 14 points of their first championship since 2008. Yet at the annual Ferrari festive bash, Fred Vasseur announced that their 2025 F1 challenger would be an entirely new car.

 

Ferrari strange decision in 2024

This was confusing for a number of reasons. Firstly the SF-24 finished the year the strongest, but the Scuderia designed a car for 2025 that was “99% new components.” The team switched their tried and tested front suspension from its push rod configuration to a pull rod design.

But this was the final year of a set of car design technical regulations and the remainder of the field were refining their 2024 challenger. The result? The decision was proven to be a huge mistake, as the Scuderia failed to win a single Grand Prix and claimed just seven podiums all thanks to Charles Leclerc.

Now La Gazzetta in Italy is reporting Ferrari have design two cars for 2026, one for early testing and the other for the opening round of the season in Australia. Of course teams historically have launched a car for testing and then refined it significantly before it first races in anger, but two cars to start the year?

Yet building two different cars before the tyre turns in anger seems a strange approach, yet the madness of Maranello means nothing can be ruled out from the mercurial F1 racers. “Fred Vasseur’s team will present itself to the pre-seasonal tests with different versions of the same car, to best test solutions and set-ups,” reports La Gazetta…READ MORE ON THIS STORY