Team building

Audi has announced the first offical sponsor for its factory Formula 1 team as well as a technical partnership with long-time collaborator, bp. The Audi brand has a long and storied association with bp across decades of highly successful motorsport collaboration and Audi’s Formula 1 team has already been working with bp and its Castrol lubricants business for nearly two years on key areas of the Formula 1 project.

Significant changes coming into effect in Formula 1 from 2026 will see the introduction of both electrification and the use of Advanced Sustainable fuel, with bp developing the fuel which must meet the regulations, achieving greenhouse gas emissions savings relative to fossil-derived petrol of at least 65 percent.

bp will also develop and supply Audi with a range of bespoke Castrol lubricants and greases including Castrol EDGE, Castrol’s most advanced engine oil, for the V6 turbo engine. Electrical components of the Audi F1 Power Unit will use the Castrol ON range of EV fluids.

“This partnership is of great importance to us,” says Australian-born Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing.

“There will be strong competition in the field of sustainable fuels in Formula 1 from 2026 … The combustion process is highly complex and can only be optimised by developing the engine in combination with the fuel properties.

“It is impressive how many different fuel variants we have developed to date as we prepare for our 2026 race season.”

The collaboration is the most recent in a long history of the two brands working together in motorsport dating back to the 1980s in the World Rally Championship with the Audi quattro. Castrol was also a partner of Audi in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, FIA World Rallycross Championship, FIA Formula E World Championship and in the DTM race series.