It’s not the first time Audi Sport has found itself with a seemingly impossible deadline in motorsport, so the idea of developing a new hybrid drive for the brand’s Formula 1 debut in 2026 is not as daunting as it may first have appeared.

Just over a year before this year’s Dakar Rally, Audi announced its intention to take on the famed off-road rally for the first time. What made this announcement all the more significant was the brand’s intention to compete with a hybrid vehicle – something that had not been done in the race in the past.

With extremes of temperatures and of course conditions, the demands on even a conventional powerplant are significant, so the challenge increased by a significant magnitude with the idea of taking electric drive to the desert.

The result of course was the Audi RS Q e-tron and not only was it ready in time, it had a hugely successful debut and left no one in any doubt that Audi Sport was deadly serious.

Likewise the brand’s assault on Formula 1 will be a no compromise affair with Audi developing its own power unit independent of sister brand Porsche which is also expected to enter Formula 1 in the future. 

Speaking at the Audi Formula 1 announcement, Audi CEO Markus Deusmann said of the decision:

“You can imagine there was a huge discussion,” he said. “But we decided, as both our brands have a lot of fans and both our brands have their special character, to keep it completely separate and do two operations. 

“We had several reasons [for that]. We will have different teams, and the powertrain has to be designed especially for the chassis. That is why we decided to split it, because we will have completely different chassis and completely different powertrains.”

As far as the deadline is concerned, that is something that Audi will take in its stride according to Oliver Hoffmann, head of Audi technical development: 

“To meet the timetable, the integration work of the electrified side on the powertrain, together with the chassis, it costs time to make it in two cars. So it’s completely different operations, and the integration work, we will do by ourselves.”

“it is really a big challenge to get this work done [by] 2026. We were able to run the Dakar, and to develop the Dakar car, which is also a very complex drivetrain, in less than one year. And I think we will be able to develop this powertrain also by 2026.”