Fans instantly compare Audi’s first livery to one of F1’s most iconic cars

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Audi have revealed their livery for their much-anticipated Formula 1 debut in 2026.

Unusually, Audi’s 2026 F1 car had already taken to the track well before Tuesday’s launch in Berlin. The newcomers completed a shakedown in Barcelona earlier this month, reportedly without issue.

Audi ran with an all-black livery for that outing and deliberately obscured details on the car in photos they published on social media.

Instant reaction to Audi’s first livery?

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The German giants have acquired the Sauber team and retained their 2025 line-up of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. That means they aren’t starting entirely from scratch like fellow debutants Cadillac, though they have built their own power unit.

F1 fans compare Audi’s first livery to Lewis Hamilton’s McLarens

The livery is predominantly silver but also features elements of luminous red and black at the rear, staying true to Audi’s brand colours.

They may be a brand-new team, but F1 fans are reminded of a classic livery – the McLaren of 2007 to 2013. Influenced by title sponsor Vodafone, they raced in red and chrome.

All of Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren cars, including his title-winning MP4-23, featured this colour scheme.

Do you agree with Zak Brown’s message to 2026 F1 newcomers Audi and Cadillac?

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On Reddit, one fan said, ‘I’m getting some Vodafone McLaren vibes from this’, and several others agreed.

“McLaren Vodafone era vibes,” another wrote, while fellow users commented ‘Vodafone McLaren we are so back’ and ‘welcome back Vodafone chrome McLaren Mercedes’.

The car was even dubbed ‘McLaren 2’, and a final fan quipped that it was ‘nice to see McLaren bringing back their chrome livery’.

The fuel issue that could hurt Audi during debut F1 season

Audi want to be F1 world champions within five years, an extremely ambitious objective but one that reflects the scale of the project. While they are under pressure long-term, they will be afforded patience at first.

There are already rumours that Audi are at a ‘significant disadvantage’ this season due to an issue with their fuel supplier, Castrol.

They may be one of the largest motoring companies on the planet, but team principal Jonathan Wheatley says Sauber’s lack of investment will hurt Audi at first. Eventually, the immense resources of the new owners should be evident on track.

Audi are the fourth F1 team to unveil their 2026 livery after Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Haas. Next up are Mercedes, who will hold their car launch on Thursday.