Audi’s F1 track debut reveals an ‘extremely basic’ part on their 2026 car

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Audi held a successful shakedown of their debut F1 car in Barcelona on Friday, as Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto got their first laps in the R26 during the filming day.

The German brand are the first team to run a car designed under the 2026 F1 regulations on a track, as they ramp up their preparations for their maiden season. Audi have now formally taken over Sauber to debut in F1 as a fully-fledged factory squad, using a works power unit.

Audi have been working on their engine since 2022, and also started to put plans in place at the Sauber factory in Hinwil, Switzerland since 2023. But lots of F1 fans are disappointed by the sound of Audi’s engine, after hearing it lap the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday.

Hulkenberg and Bortoleto put the R26 through its initial paces during a filming day, with F1 rules allowing teams up to 200km on a track using Pirelli’s demonstration tyres. The filming day gave Audi a chance to shake the R26 down prior to the first pre-season test this month.

What are your expectations for Audi’s debut F1 season in 2026?

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Audi’s Barcelona filming day reveals their ‘extremely basic’ 2026 F1 wing concepts

Audi’s filming day also gave fans their first glimpse at what cars will look like under the 2026 F1 regulations. The new ruleset has made cars 20cm smaller in length and 10cm smaller in width, as well as 30kg lighter, compared to the ground-effect era cars from 2022 until 2025.

READ MORE: All you need to know about the Audi F1 team from Sauber past to drivers

Two areas on Audi’s 2026 car particularly stood out from the images that circulated after the filming day. According to RacingNews365, the sidepod undercut on Audi’s car is ‘particularly striking’, as it is very deep along the entire length of the R26 and has a tapered rear section.

But the wings on Audi’s 2026 car seem ‘extremely basic’ and closely mirror the renders that the FIA disrupted during 2025 to give fans an idea of what F1 cars would look like under the new regulations. Front and rear wings are a key aspect of the 2026 aerodynamic regulations.

What does F1’s straight mode and corner mode mean under the 2026 aero regulations?

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F1 has introduced active aerodynamics on front wings for the first time as part of the 2026 regulations, along with adapting the rear wing regulations with the removal of DRS. Drivers will change between straight mode and corner mode via a button on their steering wheels.

READ MORE: Everything to know about the 2026 F1 engine, chassis and aero regulations

Straight mode will lower the front and rear wings to reduce drag in a similar way to how the DRS flap opened on rear wings between 2011 and 2025. F1 will define areas on each circuit where drivers can engage straight mode, with corner mode to be used in every other area.

Unlike with DRS, for which drivers had to be within one second of the car ahead to activate it, they will be able to engage straight mode whenever they enter the permitted zones. But drivers will have to be within a second of the car ahead to also use the new overtake mode.

In addition to movable wings, F1 has introduced an overtake mode to replace DRS that will allow drivers to maintain the use of the maximum power output created by the MGU-K for longer. F1 has removed the MGU-H in 2026 to reduce the complexity and price of engines.

Overtake mode will allow the chasing driver to use the full 350kw of electrical power until they reach 337kph (209mph), after which it will decrease to zero at 355kph (221mph). The leading driver’s power will have a more gradual decrease after they hit 290kph (180mph).