Audi in Motorsport and Formula One
Modern-day Audi traces its roots to Audi Automobilwerke, founded by August Horch in 1909 in Zwickau, Germany. In 1932, Audi merged with three other German automobile manufacturers—DKW, Horch, and Wanderer—to form Auto Union.
From 1935 to1939 Auto Union competed in the AIACR European Championship, the premier European racing series of its era. At the time, this championship was the forerunner to the FIA Formula One Championship, which wasn’t established until 1950.
Over those five seasons, Auto Union achieved remarkable success:
- Seven Grandes Épreuves (“Great Trials”)
- Fourteen non-championship Grand Prix.
One of its drivers, Bernd Rosemeyer, won the European Drivers’ Championship in 1936. In 1939, Hermann Paul Müller, also driving for Auto Union, won enough points to claim the championship. However, the outbreak of World War II prevented the title from being formally awarded.
These achievements firmly established Auto Union—and by extension modern Audi—as a pioneer in international motorsport long before the birth of Formula One.
From 1939 onward, Auto Union no longer fielded factory race teams. In 1959, Daimler-Benz completed its takeover of the company before selling it to the Volkswagen Group in 1965. Auto Union merged with NSU Motorenwerke and adopted the name Audi AG in 1969.
In August 2022, Audi announced it would enter Formula One as a power unit supplier beginning with the 2026 season, coinciding with the introduction of a new era of technical regulations.
The Sauber Team and Audi Acquisition
In the meantime, Peter Sauber formed the Sauber Formula One Team in 1993. Between 1993 and 2025, the teams partnered with a who’s who of major automotive manufacturers and engine suppliers:
- 1993-1994 Mercedes Benz (badged Ilmor)
- 1995-1996 Ford
- 1997-2005 Ferrari
- 2006-2009 BMW
- 2019-2023 Alfa Romeo (with Ferrari power units)
- 2024-2025 Ferrari.
The initial three years of the BMW partnership saw significant progress culminating in the team’s most successful campaign in 2008, when it scored 135 points and secured a race victory. Performance declined between 2009 and 2011, but the team experienced a resurgence in 2012, scoring 126 points and returning to the front of the midfield.
In October 2022, Audi and Sauber announced a comprehensive rebranding, confirming that Audi would become the team’s power unit supplier under the new Formula One regulations.
Effective January 2025, Audi completed the acquisition of 100% of Sauber, marking the full transition of the team into the Audi Formula One project.
On July 30, 2025, Audi announced that Revolut Ltd., a global financial technology firm, had signed on as the team’s title sponsor.
An All-New Car for 2026
For the 2026 season, the Audit Revolut F1 Team has had to design an entirely new car to comply with the revised regulations, which are summarized in our introduction to F1 and can be found here.
The Audit Revolut F1 Team Driver Lineup for 2026
Nicolas (Niko) Hülkenberg: The Experienced German
Nicolas (Niko) Hülkenberg, was born on August 19th, 1987, in Emmerich am Rhein, West Germany. He married Eglė Ruškytė, in 2022 and they have a daughter, Noemi who was born in 2021. The family lives in Monaco as do many other Formula One drivers.
Hülkenberg began his racing career in karting in 1997 at the age of ten. During his seven-year karting career he won multiple national titles. In 2005, he progressed to the junior single-seater ranks and won the Formula BMW ADAC in his debut season. Thus marking the start of a rapid rise up the motorsport ladder.
In 2006, he competed in A1 Grand Prix with A1 Team Germany, winning the championship in the 2006–2007 season as a rookie. He continued his success by winning the Masters of Formula 3 in 2007. During the 2007 season Hülkenberg was given a test drive by the Williams F1 Team. He so impressed the team that he was signed as a test and development driver, conducting testing duties for Williams from 2007 to 2009.
In the meantime, he claimed the Formula 3 Euro Series title in 2008, once again achieving championship success in a rookie season.
Continuing his rise through the ranks Hülkenberg moved up to the GP2 Series in 2009. He won the series in his rookie year. He became only the third driver to win the GP2 title in his debut season, following in the footsteps of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
For the 2010 Formula One season, Williams signed Hülkenberg as a full‑time driver to partner Rubens Barrichello. He made his F1 debut in the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix and went on to score his first pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix later in the season. However Williams was experiencing financial difficulties and despite Hülkenberg showing promise he was dropped at season’s end. His replacement, Pastor Maldonado, brought significant funding from the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A..
Hülkenberg joined Force India as reserve driver in 2011 and was promoted to a full-time seat for the 2012 season. Following Sauber’s strong performance in 2012 Hülkenberg saw them as a team on the rise and moved to Sauber for the 2013 season.
However, the 2013 season did not meet his expectations, as the team struggled with pace and reliability. Hülkenberg subsequently returned to Force India for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, where he delivered consistent midfield performances and frequently outperformed the car’s capabilities.
In 2017, Hülkenberg switched to Renault, where he raced until 2020. Eventually, Renault, being a French manufacturer, wanted to bring in a young French driver, Esteban Ocon, which contributed to Hülkenberg’s departure from the team.
He then returned to Force India (later rebranded as Aston Martin) from 2020 to 2022 as a reserve and development driver, remaining ready to step in when needed.
In 2023, Hülkenberg made a full-time comeback to Formula One with Haas.
With Audi, a German manufacturer, taking over Sauber in 2025, it became a natural fit for Hülkenberg, also German, to join the team as one of their lead drivers for the Audi Formula One project.
Gabriel Bortoleto: The Rising Brazilian Star
Gabriel Bortoleto was born on 14 October 2004 in Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil, and currently lives in São Paulo. He has been in a relationship with Isabella Bernardini since 2020.
Racing runs in his family – his father serves as CEO and co-owner of the Stock Car Pro Series in Brazil, providing Bortoleto a strong motorsport pedigree from an early age. He is also a protégé of Fernando Alonso, benefiting from the guidance of the two-time Formula One World Champion
Bortoleto began his racing career in karting in 2012 at the age of seven in Brazil. In his rookie year, he won the Open do Brasileiro de Kart, showcasing his natural talent from the start. He repeated this success in 2014, claiming the title once again.
In 2015, at just eleven years old, he moved to Europe to further develop his skills.
He graduated to car racing in 2020 by entering the 2020 Italian F4 Championship. At Mugello, the fourth round of the series he claimed his first victory.
In March 2021 Bortoleto made his debut in the Formula Regional European Championship scoring points in his very first race. He went on to finish 15th at seasons end. He won his first race in the series at Imola during the 2022 season. Bortoleto ended the season in 6th place a significant improvement over the previous season.
In 2023 Bortoleto competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. It was a roller-coaster season, featuring both wins and DNFs. By season’s end he had won enough points to be crowned FIA Formula 3 Champion. Bortoleto signed with the McLaren Driver Development Programme in October 2023.
In 2024 Bortoleto moved up to Formula 2. Again his campaign featured a mix of wins and DNFs but in the end he had accumulated enough points to be awarded the championship. In September he completed his first test in a Formula One car at the Red Bull Ring, testing the McLaren MCL36.
For 2025 Sauber offered Bortoleto a full-time seat and the McLaren Driver Development Programme released him so he could accept. His best result in the season was a 6th at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Looking Ahead: Audi in F1
With Nico Hülkenberg bringing experience and Gabriel Bortoleto representing the next generation, the Audi Revolut F1 Team enters 2026 poised to make a strong impression in Formula One. The combination of heritage, technical expertise, and driver talent positions Audi as a major new force in the sport’s next era.
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Images courtesy of the Audi Revolut F1 Team or Lothar Spurzem
