Audi hails “extra aggressive” engine sound for F1 in 2026

grew to become the primary Method 1 crew to check its 2026 challenger on monitor, and within the course of shared a primary glimpse of the upcoming noise that may soundtrack grands prix this season. Now, crew boss Jonathan Wheatley hailed the brand new engine be aware of the vehicles as “actually good”.

For 2026, F1 will roll out new energy models that use a near-50:50 break up in energy developed by the interior combustion engine and {the electrical} elements. This marks a rise in reliance on electrical vitality from the final era of hybrid vehicles, which have been slammed by drivers and followers for the sound they made whereas racing.

Commercial

Learn Additionally:

Members of the Audi crew have now spoken out in regards to the enchancment in engine noise that followers can anticipate in 2026 .

“One factor I’d say that was evident from our shakedown, and possibly it is only a one-off, however the engine sounds actually good,” Wheatley advised reporters at Audi’s 2026 season launch occasion.

“You realize, this era of engine, and I’ve seen a little bit of Instagram stuff of different groups, I do not know for those who’ve seen, however the engine sounds extra aggressive.”

Commercial

Audi F1 Staff R26 livery Audi F1 Team R26 livery

Audi F1 Staff R26 livery

One side that would affect the noise made by engines in F1 2026 is the removing of the MGU-H, which generated electrical vitality from the warmth in exhaust gasses as they have been expelled from the facility unit. Because the exhaust techniques have a huge impact on the sound of a automotive, this might clarify the change, as F1 will nonetheless use V6 inner combustion engine models.

No matter has precipitated the change in tone, Audi racer can be a fan of the brand new noise coming from the rear of his automotive.

Commercial

“It feels nicer than final yr, for positive,” the Brazilian racer stated on the Audi launch in Berlin. “If you end up driving, you’re specializing in driving, however positively after I turned on the automotive and I left the storage, it felt like, I positively obtained emotional there. I used to be like, ‘Oh, that is an unbelievable second, that is going to be historical past’.”

Staff-mate echoed that the brand new energy models sounded “a bit totally different”, however shunned sharing his full judgement of the engines till he had clocked up some extra critical miles.

Audi can be one in every of 5 energy unit producers on the grid in 2026, alongside , , Honda and the newly-launched Purple Bull-Ford enterprise.

Commercial

Ferrari, Honda and Mercedes all shared teasers of their new engine sounds when the facility models have been fired up within the manufacturing unit, whereas supplied a glimpse of the Ferrari engine operating on monitor.

Images from Audi launchAudi F1 Staff R26 livery Audi F1 Team R26 livery