FIA president hails Audi's arrival as a milestone in Formula One

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)—the governing body for world motorsport— hailed Audi's arrival at the world of Formula One as a power unit manufacturer as a milestone for the sport.

The Audi representatives confirmed that the manufacturer will compete from 2026 with a specially developed power unit. The project will be based at Audi Sport’s facility in Neuburg near Ingolstadt.

This is the first time in more than a decade that a Formula 1 powertrain will be built in Germany.

Welcoming Audi’s decision to compete at the pinnacle of single-seater racing, Ben Sulayem said: “This is a milestone for Formula 1 and the FIA. I would like to thank all of the teams involved in this announcement, at F1, at Audi and within the FIA. Today’s announcement is an endorsement of the hard work done by all stakeholders to develop the new power unit regulations for 2026. The regulations have paved the way for new entrants to the world's top motorsport category and Audi’s presence here today is a result of that.

“Motorsport is an integral part of Audi’s DNA,” says Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new rules, now is the right time for us to get involved. After all, Formula 1 and Audi both pursue clear sustainability goals.”

The FIA itself is developing an environmental strategy to become net-zero carbon by 2030. By 2026, all the FIA world championships will run with sustainable energies.

In addition to the FIA’s commitment to sustainable mobility, Ben Sulayem stressed during the F1 Belgian Grand Prix that the FIA will continue to actively encourage the participation of women in motorsport.

Motorsport is unique as under FIA regulations, women and men can compete on equal terms.

“Throughout history, women have made their mark in motorsport on and off track. It is our desire, under my leadership, that the trend will continue for years to come,” noted Ben Sulayem.

“We will continue to actively encourage the participation of women, whether that be through our FIA Girls On Track Rising Stars programme, the presence of women in our Race Control, Operations and Technical teams, and other departments throughout the organisation.”