– Formula 1 newcomer Audi does not plan any further updates to its powertrain during the current racing season. Audi Racing Director Allan McNish confirmed this at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. McNish said Audi will only make further developments to the Formula 1 powertrain “next year.”
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The background is the budget cap: it forces teams to use their development resources as efficiently as possible. “Every racing team faces this conflict of objectives,” explained McNish.
“You can’t invest everything at once, because then you lack the funds for further development steps later. That’s why you have to manage expectations, not just over one season, but over several years.”
The first powertrain update “helped” Audi
Audi has already introduced a first upgrade stage of its powertrain in the 2026 season. McNish described this update as a “small adjustment” within the ADUO catch-up program. “That worked well and helped us. However, the larger development stages are planned only for 2027,” said McNish. (Click here: How ADUO works!)
Photo gallery: Audi milestones in Formula 1
Why the Audi Racing Director “definitely” rules out further measures this year: “The powertrain is mainly about hardware, and such changes simply cannot be implemented at short notice.”
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Why powertrain development is a moving target
But what does Audi expect from the next development step on the powertrain? McNish did not want to say anything (yet): “That is a topic for 2027. Take it easy – we have only just passed the halfway point of the 2026 season.” (Click here: The Audi milestones in Formula 1)
Furthermore, a development goal is a moving target. “How big a progress is always depends on the competition,” explained McNish. “You can define your own development goals, but the decisive factor is the comparison with others. That’s why we constantly observe how quickly our competitors improve and how quickly we can catch up ourselves.”
In the 2026 season, Audi has already “improved,” said McNish. “That definitely also has to do with the powertrain because we were able to use some systems better. At the same time, the chassis upgrades also contributed their part. I think we have made progress in both areas. We want to continue this path in the second half of the season.”
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