First clip of 2026 F1 cars in action revealed

Formula 1

First clip of 2026 F1 cars in action revealed

Audi were the first team to debut their 2026 car

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Friday 9 January 2026 19:09

A clip of the first 2026 F1 car out on track has surfaced, and fans are seriously impressed.

F1 will feature brand new machinery this year, with cars that are designed to be smaller and nimbler, while power units have increased electrical energy.

All 11 F1 teams will get 11 days of testing to try out their new machinery properly, with a five-day shakedown event taking place in Barcelona later in January, before two three-day events in Bahrain in February.

Article continues under video

But before any of that, Audi became the first team to head out on track with their new 2026 car design earlier this week, taking to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to film some promotional content.

In order to make sure that they couldn't gain a competitive advantage before official testing begins, Audi were limited by the F1 rules which states that only a maximum of 200 km can be completed during such events. That meant a maximum of 42 laps around the track, at which both Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg were present.

Now, a video circling on social media shows the car on track at Barcelona, and it's got fans very excited about the noise of the power units.

Another X user commented: "I wouldn't want to be hasty, but these new power units seem to sound better," while another simply said: "Wow!"

While the video wasn't the best for actually seeing the cars, a picture was later posted on X that showed the car that Audi were using more closely.

2026 power unit changes

While the much-fancied idea of returning to V10 engines using 100 per cent sustainable fuels may happen in the future, the 2026 power unit changes are exciting in their own way.

The hybrid F1 engines will have triple the amount of emphasis on electrical energy than they did in 2025, meaning there is now a 50-50 split between electrical energy and the internal combustion engine.

F1's 2026 engines will also see the Energy Recovery System (ERS) able to recharge the battery with twice as much energy per lap, as F1 says goodbye to the MGU-H.

On top of this, there is also an exciting 'overtake' mode that drivers can utilise, which is replacing DRS which had been in the sport since 2011.

And it now appears that the new engines will sound good too, which is always a bonus for F1 fans.

F1 2026 regulations Audi Nico Hulkenberg Gabriel Bortoleto