The first look at a 2026 Formula 1 car has appeared online. Video footage shows Audi’s new R26 car during a private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Audi is the first team known to have tested its 2026 car before the official closed-door test at the end of January.
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto both drove the car during a filming day. This was Audi’s first chance to test its own F1 engine at Barcelona. The former Sauber team is getting used to its new identity as Audi.
Earlier, some blurry photos appeared on social media claiming to show the new car. But these turned out to be fake AI-generated images. According to Motorsport.com, the real footage came from YouTube channel F1 A TODO GAS, filmed from behind Turn 13. While the video is not super clear, it shows several important design details. Audi later released official teaser photos but kept the car out of focus to hide design secrets.
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The 2026 car looks very different from current models
Next year’s cars are 100mm narrower than current ones, which is easy to notice. The video shows a slightly raised nose and a front wing that pushes air inward. The new FIA rules focus on controlling airflow around the front wing. The endplates now have a footplate and a flick-up design to manage air around the front wheels.
The biggest change is Audi’s front suspension. The car uses a push-rod front suspension setup. Sauber had switched to a pull-rod design in 2024, copying McLaren and Red Bull’s approach from earlier regulations. The track rod connects from the top of the chassis to the lower part of the wheel. In other sports news, major coaching changes continue to impact player decisions, with Tyreek Hill hinting at his NFL future following recent team developments.
Pull-rod suspension was thought to help with anti-dive performance under previous rules. But the 2026 cars will use softer springs because the floors are less affected by small ride height changes. This prompted teams to switch back to push-rod designs.
The rear suspension also appears to be push-rod, though the footage quality makes it hard to confirm. Before 2022, most teams used pull-rod rear suspension to keep the center of gravity low. But more teams adopted push-rod rear suspension during the 2022-25 rules.
The sidepods are also noteworthy. From 2022 to 2025, most teams copied Red Bull’s downwash sidepod design. But Audi’s car shows an inwashing design instead. This directs airflow around the sidepods to boost the effectiveness of the Coke bottle area near the rear bodywork.
This design pulls air through the center section instead of creating turbulence near the rear tires. Meanwhile, celebrity news continues to dominate headlines, with Donna Kelce showing support for Taylor Swift during her recent TV appearance.
Published: Jan 10, 2026 01:00 pm