Can Audi avoid Toyota’s mistakes in its Everest-sized F1 mission?

Audi is entering Formula 1 as a works team in 2026. This is not news – it was announced back in August 2022 – but it is worth simply re-stating as a fact because it is a big deal.

Audi is a premium brand of the Volkswagen Group, the world’s largest car company, which has never before competed in F1. It is doing so now because of changes made to the sport in recent years – particularly the introduction of budget caps on chassis and now engines, and the adoption of a new style of engine in 2026.