Stefano Domenicali gives reaction after Audi's F1 announcement

Stefano Domenicali expressed his delight at Audi announcing that they are joining Formula 1 from 2026, with the German brand confirming the news at the Belgian GP.

It’s hardly been kept a secret in recent months that Audi were firmly intent on joining the F1 grid, and it just remained to be seen where and how they would fit in.

Today at Spa, though, they revealed that their plans were to see them join in 2026 as an engine manufacturer, with F1 bringing in new regulations around the power unit for that season, whilst many expect them to link up with Sauber, especially now Alfa Romeo have said they will be leaving at the end of 2023.

For now, though, we can look forward to having another big automotive brand joining the pinnacle of motorsport and Domenicali had this to say on the news:

“I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula 1, an iconic automotive brand, pioneer and technological innovator. This is a major moment for our sport that highlights the huge strength we have as a global platform that continues to grow.  It is also a big recognition that our move to sustainably fuelled hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector. We are all looking forward to seeing the Audi logo on the grid and will be hearing further details from them on their plans in due course.”

With the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren already on the grid, we’ve got some huge names involved in F1 and that is how it should be.

That might not be the last of the big announcements we see off of the back of the new engine regulations for 2026, though, so watch this space!