Last Updated on January 10 2026, 11:22 am

Watch Audi’s first laps of the F1 track, as the drivers react to the shakedown test in Spain – This marks a significant milestone in Audi’s Formula 1 journey. On Friday in Barcelona, the German manufacturer became the first of the eleven teams to put its 2026-spec car on the track.

This private shakedown marks Audi’s true arrival as an active Formula 1 constructor. Although the session was conducted behind closed doors, spy photos and videos quickly surfaced online, offering the first real-world glimpse of Audi’s future.

 

 

For a brand synonymous with precision and long-term planning, this was a historic moment. As Nico Hülkenberg aptly put it, the “rings are rolling”, and Audi’s F1 project has now moved from presentations and promises to carbon fibre and asphalt.

 

Spy lenses pierce the curtain in Barcelona

The shakedown took place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during one of Formula 1’s tightly regulated filming days. While these days are officially intended for promotional purposes, they have become invaluable for carrying out functional tests, allowing teams to verify installations, systems, and basic reliability. Audi was permitted to complete around 200 kilometres, a modest distance, but enough to begin validating years of development work.

Despite the event being closed to the public, photographers positioned around the circuit captured multiple images and short videos, which rapidly spread across social media. The footage shows Audi’s 2026 car completing calm installation laps, with no performance runs attempted, exactly as the regulations require.

Even so, the images were revealing. Observers immediately noted the narrower proportions mandated by the new 2026 regulations, as well as the reshaped front bodywork and sidepods. While it is too early to draw any conclusions about the car’s aerodynamics, not least because of the special filming-day Pirelli tyres, the overall impression was of a clean, disciplined design philosophy focused on stability rather than visual drama.

 

 

First drivers, first reactions

Both of Audi’s drivers took part in the shakedown, sharing the mileage equally throughout the day. Nico Hülkenberg, an experienced German driver returning to a manufacturer-led project, and Gabriel Bortoleto, one of the most closely watched young drivers of his generation, each completed their first laps in the Audi Formula 1 car.

Their reactions were brief but telling. Hülkenberg summed up the moment succinctly on social media: “The rings are rolling,” and praised the team’s work, calling the experience “fantastic”.

This phrase immediately resonated, capturing both Audi’s identity and the significance of the occasion.

Meanwhile, Bortoleto focused on the emotional weight of the day. “I am so happy to finally begin this journey,” he wrote, a statement that highlights how important this project is to Audi’s long-term driver strategy.

MORE F1 NEWS – Austrian experts in Maranello: Ferrari HUGE 2026 power advantage

 

 

Audi calls it a milestone moment

Audi wasted no time in framing the Barcelona run as a defining step. In an official post, the manufacturer described the day as a ‘milestone in Barcelona’, emphasising that the R26 had completed its first laps and that its drivers had finally experienced driving the car on the track.

“The first day, the first laps. The first chance for our drivers to experience the car,” wrote Audi, language that deliberately highlights process rather than performance. For a newcomer operating under a completely new set of rules, execution and learning matter far more at this stage than lap times.

Behind the scenes, senior leadership was also present. Team principal Jonathan Wheatley and team manager Lee Stevenson were both involved in the operation, reinforcing Audi’s emphasis on operational excellence from day one. Their combined experience, particularly in championship-winning environments, is seen as crucial to avoiding early setbacks.

 

 

From spy shots to centre stage

While the Barcelona shakedown has whetted appetites, Audi fans will not have to wait long for the full reveal. The car will be officially presented on 20 January in Berlin, where Audi is expected to outline its broader vision for the 2026 regulations and beyond.

Just six days later, attention will return to Barcelona for the first of three official winter test sessions. Two further tests are scheduled to take place in Bahrain in February, offering Audi a structured path from cautious installation laps to meaningful development work.

MORE F1 NEWS – Schumacher camp speaks out about Lewis Hamilton

 

NEXT ARTICLE – McLaren’s controversial “papaya rules” about to change after a title-winning season & growing backlash from drivers and pundits

McLaren’s divisive ‘papaya rules’ to change? – The McLaren team’s comeback has been a remarkable Formula One tale. Having ditched Ron Dennis, the legendary team owner and principal in 2017 McLaren’s fortunes have been on the rise.

Dennis was obsessed with being a works based team with an engine supplier solely dedicated to the McLaren cause. And with long term partner Mercedes deciding to adventure once again into owing a team in 2010, this left McLaren on the back foot.

To be fair to Dennis when the new V6 hybrid era began in 2014, the power unit manufacturers who owned teams were allowed preferential treatment under the FIA’s rules. This meant their team would get any PU upgrades first, with customers having to wait until the factory could build enough.

 

Papaya rules dominate 2025 headlines

All this has now changed since Mercedes’ dominant era and F1 customer teams now must be given the same specification of powertrains that the manufacturers run in their own car. But for McLaren, Dennis’ adventure with Honda was a disaster and saw the team finish a lowly 9th in the constructors’ championship in 2017.

Zak Brown was subsequently appointed CEO of McLaren Racing and their fortunes have been on the up ever since. They are the first ‘customer team’ to win the constructors’ title since Brawn GP in 2009 and for two seasons now have dominated their PU supplier Mercedes.

Yet despite their second team title and Lando Norris maiden F1 championship, McLaren are a team under scrutiny. Much of which comes from their decision to make public their rules of combat between the drivers. ‘Papaya rules’ often dominated the headlines in 2025, with Oscar Piastri finally admitting the team orders in Monza affected his mentality and ultimately his title chance.

The papaya rules are McLaren’s rule book for their drivers which state the team comes ahead of any individual glory, emphasising no contact should be made and the drivers must respect whatever…READ MORE ON THIS STORY