Audi name first driver to join F1 team ahead of 2026 season entry

Audi will enter Formula 1 in 2026, taking over from the Sauber works team currently branded as Alfa Romeo

Audi have revealed former Le Mans winner Neel Jani has joined the team as a simulator driver ahead of their 2026 Formula 1 entry.

The German brand, owned by Volkswagen, announced last summer they would enter F1 under new regulations in 2026, building their own power unit in Bavaria.

By October, a deal had been struck to take over the Sauber works team, currently branded as Alfa Romeo, in time for 2026.

With preparations for their entry well underway, with Andreas Seidl leaving McLaren in December to join as the team’s new CEO, Swiss driver Jani has been announced as a driver to aid development on the power-unit with simulator work.

Jani, 39, is a former F1 test and reserve driver for Red Bull and has driven in GP2, Formula E and Le Mans, which he won in 2016 with Porsche.

“I am delighted to accompany Audi on their way into Formula 1,” said Jani. “It is both an honour and a great responsibility to be involved in a project of this magnitude at an early stage.

“I am sure that with my experience from Formula 1 and LMP [Le Mans Prototype] projects I can forge good links between theory and practice.”

Le Mans winner Neel Jani has joined Audi as a simulator driver (Getty Images)

Audi are aiming to test their first full power unit by the end of this year.

“Just like in production development, simulation plays a major role in our Formula 1 project,” said Oliver Hoffmann, member of the board of management for technical development of Audi AG.

“Our simulator is an important tool for the power unit development. It requires a development driver who in addition to a grasp of technology brings versatile experience to the project, especially in terms of energy management in racing conditions.”

Audi are a confirmed entry for 2026 while the FIA are currently in the midst of a process of considering other prospective entries from the likes of Andretti-Cadillac, Hitech GP and Panthera Team Asia.