The manufacturer’s major investment in Sauber will enable Audi to enter F1 in 2026 with an engineered engine program and a racing team, while Volkswagen Group sister brand Porsche has now officially suspended its partnership after talks with Red Bull and McLaren fell through. Top game.

Conditioning Audi’s entry into F1 is the specification of the new engine rules for 2026, which do away with the complex and expensive electric-generator set-heat, while increasing reliance on electricity to 350kW, in addition to running on fully sustainable fuels.

Audi skipped a Chinese Grand Prix last weekend due to COVID-19, instead using the Shanghai Auto Show to formally showcase its F1 plans in China and provide a status update.

Most notably, the manufacturer confirmed that the single-cylinder engine will be tested “beginning in late 2022” to help validate the test bench setup and “measuring instruments”.

The fledgling Red Bull powertrain division is also known to have tested a 2026-spec single-cylinder mule last autumn.

Furthermore, Audi reports that a “full hybrid drivetrain comprising combustion engine, electric motor, battery and electronic control unit” is planned to be operational on test benches by the end of 2023 and “will form the basis vehicle concept for the future”.

Oliver Hoffmann, head of Audi technology, said: “The Audi Formula 1 project has really taken off in recent months.

“In the ongoing concept phase of the power unit, we are today laying the groundwork for the 2026 drivetrain.

New Audi Sport F1 concept car

Photography: Mark Sutton/ motorsport pictures

“We pay great attention to detail work, such as materials or manufacturing technology, and we also focus on topics such as energy management for hybrid drivetrains.

“After all, efficiency is a key success factor in Formula 1 and future mobility, and these approaches will drive both worlds.”

The expansion of the Neuburg F1 facility means 260 “specialists” have already been hired, but by the end of the year the number will be more than 300.

Audi promises to combine externally sourced “Formula 1 expertise” with existing and well-known Audi Sport as well as Audi employees familiar with recent motorsport projects.

The infrastructure upgrade includes the installation of an additional test bench for power unit development in the new 3,000-square-meter building.

Audi Chairman Markus Duesmann said: “We believe that our commitment to Formula 1 will strengthen Audi’s focus on sport.

“The racing series is constantly expanding its global reach, especially with a younger target group and our most important sales market: China.”