Audi F1 Sings Sport's Praises As It Aims For World Championship Within 3 Years

"It’s a realistic goal."

Audi will be joining the F1 grid in 2026 in partnership with Sauber and according to Adam Baker, Audi's Formula Racing CEO, they are aiming to be in a position to win races within three years. 

Sauber currently compete as Alfa Romeo with drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. Alfa Romeo are set to be leaving the grid at the end of the 2023 season.

Audi will be in charge of designing and developing the power unit, whereas Sauber will take care of the chassis of the cars. 

In an interview with Autosport, Baker explained their goals for their F1 arrival:

“We want to be competitive in three years. It’s a realistic goal. We want to compete for victories in the third year.”

When asked why Audi chose now to join the F1 grid, Baker said:

“There is no single reason, there are several factors that have aligned to make it extremely attractive for manufacturers, in particular for Audi.

“F1 is in a transition period with a sustainable concept for the championship. With new rules, which will introduce innovative power units focused on the electrical part, plus sustainable fuels, it is aligned with Audi’s future strategy, directed towards electric mobility.

“Also, F1 has increased in popularity. It is by far the best media and marketing tool in the motorsport world, and one of the best in any industry.

Baker continued:

“At the same time, F1 has achieved cost reduction and that makes it even more attractive. The engines of 2026 will have a spending ceiling and that, in addition to limiting costs, provides certainty about long-term budgets.

“If you want a fantastic platform to demonstrate your competence and knowledge 24 times a year, this is the best place.”

The sport is on its way to being carbon neutral by 2030 with more sustainable fuels being introduced in 2026. The popularity of the sport has also increased dramatically with the release of Netflix's 'Drive To Survive'. 

The Netflix show has helped propel the sport in America and we are now seeing three American races on the calendar next year- Miami, Austin, and the highly anticipated Las Vegas.