Audi to Enter F1 in 2026 as Power Unit Manufacturer

This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 show the new F1 Audi car after a press conference on Audi which will become an engine supplier in 2026 ahead the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack Spa. (AFP)
This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 show the new F1 Audi car after a press conference on Audi which will become an engine supplier in 2026 ahead the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack Spa. (AFP)
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Audi to Enter F1 in 2026 as Power Unit Manufacturer

This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 show the new F1 Audi car after a press conference on Audi which will become an engine supplier in 2026 ahead the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack Spa. (AFP)
This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 show the new F1 Audi car after a press conference on Audi which will become an engine supplier in 2026 ahead the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack Spa. (AFP)

German manufacturer Audi will enter Formula One in 2026 in line with new engine regulations, chairman Markus Duesmann said on Friday.

Audi will manufacture its own power unit in an era when there will be a greater emphasis on sustainable fuels and an increased electrical component in engines.

From 2026, the electric power output for the power units, consisting of an electric motor, battery, control electronics, and a combustion engine, will increase. The electric motor will then be nearly as powerful as the combustion engine and the highly efficient 1.6-liter turbo engines will run on advanced sustainable fuel – which Audi says was a prerequisite for entry into the series.

“I want to officially announce that Audi has officially registered as PU (power unit) Formula One manufacturer. So in 2026 we will start racing in F1,” Audi chief executive Markus Duesmann said at the Belgian Grand Prix.

“Racing, motorsport is in the DNA of Audi. If you think of Le Mans, and Dakar, we have always been very successful. It’s perfect timing with the rule changes for us to enter F1.”

It is not yet clear if Audi, which has been linked to a set up with Sauber, will run its own team or only supply engines.

Duesmann said entering in 2026 was wiser than starting earlier in F1.

“As we do a complete new power train, the combustion engine and the power side, that is not too long for us,” he said. “In less than four years from now we will be on the grid.”

The project will be based at Audi Sport’s facility in Neuburg, Germany, near Ingolstadt.

Audi is the second-most successful manufacturer in the 24 Hours Le Mans endurance race with 13 wins, and began to work on electrifying the car in that series as early as 2012.

“I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula 1, an iconic automotive brand, pioneer and technological innovator,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said. “It is also a big recognition that our move to sustainably fueled hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector.”

FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem expects Audi to make a long-term commitment to F1 when the new cycle begins, which Duesmann agreed with.

“We are here very long term,” Duesmann said. “Within three years we expect to be competitive.”

Audi is widely expected to be joined on the grid in 2026 by Porsche in a partnership with Red Bull.



Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, Battling Injuries and Unhappy on the Court, Is Taking a Hiatus from Tennis

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)
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Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, Battling Injuries and Unhappy on the Court, Is Taking a Hiatus from Tennis

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)

Ons Jabeur is taking a hiatus from the women's tennis tour, with the three-time major runner-up saying Thursday she wants to "rediscover the joy of simply living."

Once ranked No. 2 on the WTA Tour, Jabeur has battled injuries in recent years and has fallen to her current No. 71. The 30-year-old from Tunisia retired because of difficulty breathing during her first-round match at Wimbledon, where she reached the final in 2022 and 2023, and won't be playing as the hard-court swing begins.

"For the past two years, I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges," Jabeur wrote on Instagram. "But deep down, I haven't felt truly happy on the court for some time now.

"Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living."

Jabeur also was the US Open runner-up in 2022, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2019 to reach the final at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows in the same year.

She fell short of becoming the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era, but she climbed to No. 2 in the WTA rankings the next week.

She is 15-15 this year after her 2024 season was cut short by a shoulder injury, as she played just once after Wimbledon.

Jabeur, popular with other players and fans, thanked the fans in her post.

"Even while I'm away from the court, I'll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all," she wrote.