Audi entered Formula 1 in 2026 by taking Sauber’s grid slot and, nine races in, sits ninth with six points, all scored by rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. Veteran teammate Nico Hulkenberg has yet to score, but the team has reached Q2 at every Grand Prix and broken into Q3 three times, showing chassis strength despite a power‑unit deficit.

Team principal Mattia Binotto announced a long‑term target: build a championship‑capable outfit by 2030, using the 2026‑27 seasons for construction and aiming for a quality leap in 2028. He highlighted that over 1,400 staff work on the chassis and power unit, while just 100 are track‑side, underscoring the project's scale.

Audi acknowledges a roughly 4% power‑unit gap to the Red Bull‑Ford benchmark, planning two engine upgrade tokens to close it. Bortoleto praised the chassis as comparable to Mercedes in corners, a strength that compensates for straight‑line weakness. If the upgrades succeed, Audi could move from mid‑field obscurity toward regular podium contention, reshaping the competitive order before the 2031 regulation change.