Audi has publicly acknowledged that it still faces a significant disadvantage in its power unit at the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Although it considers the expected scenario for a debut project, the German manufacturer admits that the gap to the main teams on the grid is quite significant.
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The new team officially entered Formula 1 this year, after taking over the Sauber structure and starting its own engine operation within the new technical regulations. After scoring points right on debut at the Australian GP, Audi began to compete for positions close to the top 10 in the following rounds.
These problems became more evident during the Miami GP weekend, when the power unit presented difficulties that compromised the car’s performance. Mattia Binotto, team director, stated that the deficit was already expected internally from the start of the project.
“When we evaluate the performance on track, I think the most obvious thing is the difference we have in the power unit, which for us is not a surprise. Being a completely new engine manufacturer, it is natural to expect a difference compared to the best organizations,” Binotto said.
Even admitting the distance to the competitors, the director assured that Audi already has a defined development plan to reduce this gap in the coming years: “It is not a matter of despair. On the contrary, it is understanding where we are. It is a very big difference, we believe, but we have a development plan for the future and we are focused on that,” he said.
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After four rounds contested, Audi occupies ninth position in the constructors’ championship. Even so, the brand maintains the goal of competing for titles until 2030, while recognizing that the path to reach the leading teams will be long.
Binotto highlighted that despite the current limitations, the team is satisfied with the first steps taken since the transformation of Sauber into Audi: “It is very easy to do things wrong in Formula 1 and you can see around us other teams with even more difficulties,” he added.
The director reinforced that satisfaction with the initial progress does not mean complacency: “Our long-term ambition is very high,” he concluded. According to him, to reduce the gap to the top teams, it will be necessary to evolve in several areas, including structure, team size, tools, operational capacity, and personnel development.
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