Jan.12 (GMM) Audi has quietly become the first Formula 1 team to put a genuine 2026-spec car on track, completing a private rollout behind closed doors in Barcelona last Friday.
Grainy videos and spy shots circulating online show an all-black machine running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with no sponsors and only Audi’s four-ring logo visible on the rear wing.
Crucially, this was not a modified 2025 Sauber. The car is believed to be Audi’s first true 2026 chassis, designed from the ground up around the new regulations and the brand-new Audi power unit.
Security was reportedly tight as the car emerged shortly after 10am local time on January 9, with Audi declining to reveal much about the outing. Trackside observers said the initial installation laps passed without incident.
Both factory drivers were present, with Nico Hulkenberg widely believed to have completed the historic first laps, followed later by teammate Gabriel Bortoleto.
Under filming day regulations, mileage was limited to 200 kilometres, using Pirelli demo tyres rather than race-spec slicks.
The next public milestone comes on January 20 in Berlin, where the team is set to unveil its final livery, before group testing begins in Barcelona on January 26.
Elsewhere, Alpine has reportedly postponed a planned filming day amid delays linked to engine-related data from Mercedes.