How Audi developed its hybrid skills before even entering F1

Audi Formula 1 chiefs say the brand’s experience in various categories will help it master F1’s new power units from 2026.

Audi is taking over the Switzerland-based Sauber team as F1 moves into a new era; 2026-spec power units will feature 350kW (469hp) electric power, up from 120kW currently, for a near-50:50 split with the internal combustion engine. Cars will also recover twice as much energy from braking.

Audi has experience in Formula E, where the manufacturer made its own powertrains from 2015 to 2021, though it withdrew from the championship before it moved up from the 250kW (335hp) Gen2 car – the current Gen3 Evo is up to 400kW and the upcoming Gen4 will reach 600kW (805hp).

Still, energy management was key in Formula E, and this experience is expected to prove useful to Audi – but not necessarily as much as its expertise in other disciplines.

“Maybe Le Mans, even more than Formula E, because management between the combustion engine and the electric system is more comparable to the new regulation,” said Gernot Doellner, chairman of the boards of Audi and Sauber Motorsport.

“But when it comes to components, also Formula E, I would say it’s quite a good learning field. We had to see how to improve efficiencies there, and to do the energy management.”

Audi raced in the World Endurance Championship until 2016, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours consecutively from 2012-2014 with its hybrid-powered Audi R18 e-tron quattro. The car featured up to 200kW’s worth of electric power (268hp).

More recently, Audi won the 2024 Dakar Rally with its RS Q e-tron, whose energy was mostly electric with 286kW (384hp).

“If there is something on which I’ve been positively impressed by joining Audi, [it’s] certainly the expertise and the skills, competence on the hybrid, because it has been developed through Dakar and Formula E,” said Mattia Binotto, who has been leading the Sauber F1 team – and the Audi F1 project – since August 2024.

“It’s certainly a great skill, which is useful to our Formula 1 project, and no doubt that will bring hopefully an advantage.”

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