Audi’s progress in Formula 1 is one of the pleasant surprises of the 2026 season: after a laborious start to the championship, the German manufacturer has managed to leave the back of the grid.
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Audi F1 has now confirmed that no major evolution of its power unit will be introduced before next season.
Audi’s competition director, Allan McNish, explained that engine development is now practically frozen for the rest of the year, despite the progress made since the Spanish Grand Prix.
A successful evolution in Barcelona
The first engine developed in-house by Audi had a difficult start, especially in terms of performance and reliability. However, an evolution introduced in Barcelona significantly improved the behavior of the power unit, particularly its flexibility of use.
Since this update, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg have scored points in three consecutive Grands Prix, allowing Audi to surpass Williams in the constructors’ championship.
Asked about the arrival of a new engine evolution, McNish was categorical: “It will be next year.”
The three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans explains that this decision is directly linked to the financial constraints imposed in Formula 1: “All teams have to find the right balance between when they introduce developments on the chassis or on the engine, while managing their budget. You can’t spend everything at once, otherwise there is no margin left for later. This has to be managed not only over one season but over several years.”
The real goal is already 2027
Audi used from Barcelona the possibilities offered by the regulations to help the less performing engine manufacturers, by bringing a first targeted evolution: “We introduced a small evolution in Barcelona thanks to the possibilities offered by the ADUO regulation. It worked well and allowed us to progress.”
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But the most important developments are now planned for 2027: “The big evolutions are planned for 2027. So we won’t see anything major on the engine until then.”
When asked what performance gain could be expected with this future engine, McNish answered humorously: “It’s for 2027! Give us a little break. We’re only halfway through the 2026 season, I first need a cup of tea.”
Behind this joke, the message remains clear as Audi constantly compares its performance to that of its competitors to assess its development pace: “We constantly compare ourselves to other manufacturers. We observe their progress and the speed at which we can evolve as well.”
The Scottish executive believes that the progress made this season comes as much from the engine as from the chassis development: “We have clearly progressed this year, especially thanks to the power unit, by optimizing several of its systems, but also thanks to the evolutions brought to the chassis. I think we have indeed taken a step forward.”
Progress expected… without a new engine
Audi does not intend to remain idle during the second half of the season. The team still plans several evolutions, but they will mainly concern the car rather than its engine.
The improvements introduced in Barcelona already illustrated this philosophy. They were not aimed at increasing maximum power, but at making the engine more pleasant to use, with better throttle response, a more progressive torque delivery, and more efficient gear shifts.
For Audi, the strategy is now clearly defined: maximize the potential of the current car until the end of the 2026 season, while focusing most of its technical resources on a much more ambitious goal: having a power unit capable of competing with the best from the 2027 season onwards.
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