Fake 2026 F1 car takes to the track

After Audi became the first team to take a 2026 F1 car out on track earlier this week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a fake photo of a car has got F1 fans in a spin.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto were both present at the track as the newly named team were out filming some promotional content, meaning that they were bound by F1 rules which meant they could only complete a maximum of 200km (or 42 laps of the former home of the Spanish Grand Prix).

It's the first time that a 2026 F1 car has been out on the track, and Audi took to social media to reveal that the session had indeed taken place, ahead of official testing getting underway later this month with a five-day event at the same track.

A leaked video on social media got F1 fans excited about the sound of the new power units, which are featuring much more of an electrical emphasis from 2026 as new regulations take over in the sport.

But alongside that video which appears to be real, an AI-generated photo showing an F1 'car' up close also appeared on social media platform X, with an all-black design believed to be a 'mule' car that Audi were using.

However, fans were quick to point out that the image was absolutely not a 2026 car, and that the signage supposedly at the track read 'Barcelona Catalumuea', evidently pointing to the inauthenticity of the image.

When are the F1 car launches?

While the fake image of the F1 car has caused quite a few arguments on social media, fans will not have to wait too long to see the official Audi F1 car for 2026.

Audi have taken over Sauber from next season onwards, and are one of two new names on the grid alongside Cadillac, who are a completely new outfit.

Audi will be revealing their first F1 car design on January 20 at a special event in Berlin, before the official five-day shakedown starts on January 26.

Red Bull and Racing Bulls will be the first teams to show us what the 2026 car designs will look like, with those teams holding a joint ceremony in Detroit on January 15.

READ MORE: First video of 2026 F1 cars in action released and fans LOVE it

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