Audi reassured and “fully committed to entering F1” after maintaining 2026 engines

A big sigh of relief for Audi. The brand with the rings emerged reassured from the meeting organized by the FIA ​​this Friday in Manama (Bahrain) on the future of the engine regulations in Formula 1At the end of this meeting of approximately one hour, the FIA ​​and the six engine manufacturers for the period 2026-2030 (Ferrari, RBPT-Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Audi and Cadillac) have agreed and committed to "comply with the 1 Formula 2026 regulations", thus abandoning the potential return of V10 engines by 2028.

Audi, like Honda and Mercedes, was one of the three engine manufacturers firmly opposed to this idea. Through Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, the German manufacturer reiterated that its commitment to Formula 1 was linked in particular to the V6 turbo-hybrid powertrain. Of course, the Ingolstadt-based company was against the idea of ​​abandoning the 2026 engine regulations given the heavy investment it has made in its infrastructure and the development of next year's power unit. Audi will make its Formula 1 debut next year, following the acquisition of Sauber, and if the 2026 engine had ultimately been abandoned, the team would have simply been left without an engine.

Audi reaffirms its commitment to F1

In a statement, Audi expressed its relief and reaffirmed its commitment to Formula 1. "We thank the FIA, in particular Mohammed Ben Sulayem, for organizing this important meeting during which we engaged in constructive discussions with all parties concerned, Audi communicatesOur goal is to contribute to the development of a sustainable and future-oriented form of motorsport, which relies on cutting-edge technologies, to the benefit not only of Formula 1, but also of Audi's wider technological development, which we see reflected in the power unit regulations for 2026. Audi remains fully committed to entering Formula 1 from 2026, with power unit technology built around three key pillars: highly efficient engines, advanced hybrid electrification and the use of sustainable fuels.

The day before this meeting, Nico Hulkenberg – who will become Audi's first F1 driver next year – had already indicated the German manufacturer's opposition to the potential arrival of V10 engines in 2028. "The new power unit regulations played a big role in Audi's decision to enter F1. So I don't think there's much incentive for Audi to change that, especially as we're already close to that date, the 37-year-old pilot had stressed. So I don't know, there's a lot of noise around [V10 engines]. I don't know who's behind it. It sounds a bit like wishful thinking, but let's see what happens tomorrow."

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