TECH WEEKLY: How Audi have taken a highly unusual aerodynamic route with the R26

Mark Hughes examines the front wing, floor, and sidepod concepts that make Audi’s R26 one of the grid’s most distinctive designs.

Mar 31, 2026 3:57pm UTC

Technical ContributorsMark Hughes and Giorgio Piola

Making its own power unit, gearbox and chassis, Audi has made an impressive entry into F1 after three races, with points on the board already and two appearances in Q3 from Gabriel Bortoleto. It has done so with a car, the R26, highly original in concept and quite distinctive in detail.

The technical group of the former Sauber team - led by James Key and chief of aero Alessandro Cinelli – has taken advantage of the new freedoms permitted by becoming a full manufacturer rather than a customer team.