Audi’s F1 Entrance: Will They Follow Red Bull’s Rocky Road to Victory
Ex-Formula 1 race winner Gerhard Berger has drawn on the journey it took Red Bull to start winning races to caution Audi about expecting immediate success when it enters the sport in 2026. With a complete takeover of Sauber and a reset to the technical regulations on the horizon, Audi is about to embark on its first-ever foray into Formula 1 as a works manufacturer. The German brand’s foray is filled with high expectations, given its envious resources and accolades in other racing disciplines, which have many tipping Audi to soon conquer F1.
However, Berger, with his wealth of F1 experience, has pointed out that Red Bull entered the sport under similar conditions in 2005 and faced several barren years before transforming into a race-winning team. Red Bull has now materialized into a dominant force in F1, but Berger cautions Audi against believing it will immediately compete with established teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, or Red Bull. “You should not underestimate a debut in the highest motorsport class,” Berger told German outlet BILD. “It requires patience on the way to the top and few mistakes.”
Drawing from his close association with Red Bull during their initial years, Berger recalls how even with the arrival of renowned engineer Adrian Newey, Red Bull made numerous mistakes and took six years before clinching their first victory. His message to Audi is clear: success takes time, a notion compounded by Andreas Seidl, CEO of Audi, who has ramped up expectations by declaring the manufacturer’s goal to “fight for victories and titles”.
Berger reiterates that such aspirations take years to achieve, illuminating how Ferrari, even with Michael Schumacher in the team, took multiple seasons to reach the pinnacle of motorsport. “Audi has the resources and the great advantage that they are already involved with Sauber in the background,” says Berger, who notched up 10 F1 victories over his career of 210 starts. He adds, “But in my opinion, it is going to take at least five years before they will be up [the] front. Look at Ferrari at the beginning of this century. Despite Michael Schumacher and the ideal setup of Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, and Rory Byrne, that team needed five years before they started winning world titles.”
The current competitiveness of Sauber, set to become the Audi works team, underscores the task ahead. As of 2024, Sauber remains the only team yet to score any points in the first nine rounds, reflecting the sizable challenge Audi will face when they enter the sport. Nevertheless, the Sauber/Audi project has shown ambitions by securing Nico Hulkenberg from Haas for 2025, while Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr., son of Audi Dakar winner Carlos Sainz Sr., is known to be a top target for the other seat.
Sainz Jr., however, is also in conversations with Williams, considering his options beyond Ferrari. This chase for established drivers underscores the importance Audi places on assembling a capable team right from the beginning. Their lure of top-tier talent is a clear indication of their serious intent. Berger’s advice is rooted in pragmatism: immediate success is rarely heard of in the fiercely competitive world of Formula 1.
So, while Audi’s entrance into F1 is wrapped in excitement and anticipation, lessons from the past remind us all that greatness in this sport is often a marathon, not a sprint. The parallels between Red Bull’s initial struggles and Audi’s upcoming journey might serve as a blueprint or a warning—only time will tell.