With vehicles like the Quattro, the R8, and the now new E-Tron GT, it’s justifiable to ask why Audi has been quiet in the high-scale motorsport realm as of late. With Audi slowly turning their heading towards electric vehicles and increased sustainability, it seems counterintuitive for them to join an event which discourages the use of catalytic converters.
The fact of the matter is, rumors have swirled that F1 will be getting a new manufacturer soon. Audi and Porsche were already in talks to get themselves into the F1 realm, but in the past couple of months it seemed as if Porsche was going to win the bid due to Audi wanting to be seen as more of a “green” company.
In a press conference Audi AG CEO Markus Duesmann states that “Motorsport is an integral part of Audi’s DNA. Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new rules, now is the right time for us to get involved. After all, Formula 1 and Audi both pursue clear sustainability goals.”
The new goals that Audi plans to implement also aligns with F1’s plan and regulation to go carbon net zero in 2026, which is exactly when Audi intends to get on the tarmac. The motor will be built in Neuberg an der Donau, where extensive testing with all sorts of different scenarios will take place. F1 plans to use biofuel in 2026 to go carbon neutral, but Audi will be toying around with electric motors and high performance battery testing.
Audi intends to announce which team they will be partnering with by the end of 2022 for the 2026 season. The news comes at an auspicious time, right before the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, with Verstappen as the points leader and Red Bull as the constructor leader.
