Audi confirms ‘Audi Revolut F1 Team’ name, Berlin launch date as Sauber era closes
The Sauber name is about to vanish from the F1 grid. In its place: Audi, fully factory, with a title sponsor that makes the ambition impossible to miss.
Audi has confirmed it’ll race as the Audi Revolut F1 Team from 2026, unveiling a fresh team logo and a launch date to match the scale of the project. The car and full identity will be shown in Berlin on January 20, 2026, at an “immersive” event designed to showcase what the brand calls its core pillars: clarity, technical intelligence, and emotion. One day later, January 21, the doors open to the public so fans can explore the visuals and design language in person.
The title partnership with global banking player Revolut was secured over the summer and forms the backbone of Audi’s new-era branding. The logo—already incorporating the Revolut mark—plants a flag: this is no half-step takeover. With that, the company name shifts from Sauber Motorsport AG to Audi Motorsport AG, and the Bicester technology hub becomes the Audi Motorsport Technology Centre UK. The Sauber name will survive only on the holding company and Sauber Technologies AG.
“Today, our project takes on its official identity,” said team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who’s been shepherding the transition to full works status. “The Audi Revolut F1 Team name is a symbol of the combined strength of our teams in Germany, the UK and Switzerland, together with our partners. It energises the entire project and makes our long-term ambition tangible.”
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner called the reveal “another major milestone” on the march to 2026: “Both the name and logo give our ambition a clear identity, reflecting a strong vision and innovative spirit. We now look ahead to Berlin in January, where we’ll officially present this exciting new chapter for the Audi brand.”
The branding push follows last month’s Audi R26 concept livery tease—clearly a mood-setter for what’s to come in Berlin. Expect the final race livery to evolve that theme as the works outfit steps into the 2026 rulebook alongside new power unit regulations and a significant reset on the chassis side.
Behind the scenes, the timeline is aggressive. Audi intends to fire up its first F1 power unit before Christmas—an early integration that reflects how compressed everyone’s schedules have become ahead of an earlier-than-usual winter test window. “We’re bringing together a brand new power unit with a chassis for the first time and we’re firing it up before Christmas. I can’t remember ever doing that,” Wheatley admitted after Abu Dhabi. “There’s a huge amount to do between now and then… that’s why we’ve always said this project is a deep, multi-year challenge.”
That candid note matters. Audi’s transition from stakeholder to sole identity is more than a badge swap; it’s the culmination of a long glide path from the Sauber structure to a unified works organisation spanning Neuburg, Hinwil and the UK. The Berlin launch will mark the first time Audi can present that end-to-end picture—factory engine, factory team, and a fresh commercial platform built to scale.
There are still big questions to answer—drivers, competitive targets, how quickly the new unit will bite—but the direction of travel is obvious. With the corporate rebrand locked, the power unit nearing first fire, and a heavily produced launch on the calendar, Audi is moving from polite intent to loud presence.
One more thing: opening the Berlin venue to fans the day after launch is a smart touch, the kind of move that helps reset perceptions when a heritage name exits and a global brand steps in. If Audi wants this to feel like the start of something significant rather than just another logo on the entry list, this is how you do it.
Circle January 20. That’s when Audi stops hinting and starts showing.
