How Audi won the F1 2026 shakedown race

When Audi took to Barcelona for the shakedown of its new R26 Formula 1 car on 9 January, it had created a colossal statement of intent in being the first team to put its 2026 racer on track.

It was no last-minute decision to put the car through its first run; this had been in the works for - per technical director James Key - around 18 months. As such, the team had ensured all of its design and manufacturing targets would converge upon getting the car running in the first full week of January.

This was important for Audi, because although the team's former Sauber identity had long graced the F1 entry list and had vast reams of data for each circuit, the powertrain division did not. Thus, the team needed to gather a reference point for the new power unit as a point of comparison.

Although the car had only run for the 50km (31 miles) permissible for a shakedown, it offered the team a monumental boost: the car works. And, although the temptation to push back development by a couple of weeks was there - Audi could have fired up in the garage for the first time at F1's collective 'pre-season shakedown' event in Barcelona - Key felt that going early was the best solution.

"This was a decision made about 18 months ago, so we kind of knew this was coming," Key explained at the German marque's Berlin launch. "It wasn't a last minute thing. But no, we wanted to – as one of only two new guys on the block with this - you really do need a track reference.

"And we agreed with our power unit colleagues that we try and hit the track as quickly as we can. The problem with that, when you think about how the development process of these cars has gone, from a technical reg point of view from the chassis, everything was speculative until 1 January when we could start doing the aero.

Audi F1 Team

Photo by: Audi

"Of course the aero defines the car. You've got a very, very late start in really defining how stuff's got to be, so you want to go for as long as possible, but then you're running early.

"So everything has been compressed massively over winter. It's been a very intense year for us. But we wanted to get that track reference, which we did successfully, which is brilliant actually, with the power unit."

Key even added that the team had perhaps got running a couple of days ahead of schedule, despite the surprise repercussions of Gabriel Bortoleto's Brazil 2025 crash(es) threatening to eat into the build time.

Of course, and wishing to stray away from hyperbole here, Bortoleto's pair of wall-crunches at his home grand prix were not realistically going to jeopardise Audi's overall chances in 2026 - but it might have at least put the test on the backburner.

Following the Brazilian's sprint race crash, then another in the full grand prix, Sauber had to put its manufacturing operation back to work on producing 2025 parts to replenish stocks - thus, losing time on getting its 2026 parts manufactured.

"We knew it was going to be the first full week in January. I think it might have been a couple of days later originally. But we knew it was going to be the first full week. We just about got in there on the Friday," he added.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

"But like I say, it meant everything was compressed. So the team effort to go for as long as possible without committing to anything so we could allow the aero to develop. But then building a car and firing it up before Christmas and running in January was absolutely massive.

"[Bortoleto's crash] did have an impact because we were making bits for that car. It was an unfortunate thing but, again, the team moved heaven and earth to recover from that.

"We had to make new wings whilst doing the other car at the same time. And this is what I sort of said before, just to finish off, is the environment is changing rapidly. It's a unique opportunity, this journey with Audi.

"And I think the team are so motivated by the possibilities that they've now got in front of them with the investment we're getting, with the manpower we're getting. That doing stuff like this is not easy for them, but they want to do it. They want to do the extra hours to make sure that we hit our deadlines."