At the start of 2026, the Formula 1 paddock had only one name on its lips: Audi. After a tense start, the four-ringed brand had achieved the impossible: transforming the Sauber C45, once the backmarker, into a podium-winning machine. Behind this technological miracle lay an elite team, an aerodynamic "commando" strategy that changed everything.
The Audi brand didn't come to Formula 1 to learn. It came to make an impact. Behind the scenes, an elite team of about ten aerodynamicists, nicknamed internally the "special forces," radically transformed the Sauber F1 Team. The result? The C45, long a symbol of frustration, became a credible threat. And the paddock started to take notice. Audi otherwise.
After an era of chronic underperformance, Audi seemed doomed to a long period of decline. But under the guidance of the technical director James KeySomething has changed, and violently.
The end of the 2024 season had offered a glimmer of hope: a lower, stiffer, and conceptually more aggressive car. The simulations promised much. Too much, perhaps. Because in Bahrain, during the 2025 pre-season tests, the reality hit home with a rude awakening.
« It was: “How did we do that again?” ", coward KeyHe was lucid when discussing the "correlation" problems that plagued the initial testing. At that point, many teams would have panicked. AudiShe, however, closed ranks.
Rather than changing direction, Audi Change of method. Repeated meetings, sleepless nights, unfiltered debates. Key quips: We could write a book about it. »
At the heart of this storm, a young, hungry, and uninhibited generation is tasked with saving the 2025 car. Their objective is not modest. They are already talking about podium finishes. And against all odds… they were right.
Audi aims for the title in 2030
The developments introduced in Barcelona, Spielberg, and Silverstone were game-changers. No marketing gimmicks, no miracle wings. Just pure physics. "Fundamentally, it was flow physics," explains Key, who summarizes: what works, and what doesn't work »
The floor has been redesigned, downforce has increased, but above all, aerodynamic stability has been dramatically improved. C45 becomes less sensitive to dirty air, more consistent, more usable.
The reward? A historic podium finish at Silverstone for Nico HulkenbergAudi had just proven that it was no longer there to play a supporting role.
In the dark, Mattia binotto orchestrates the ramp-up. New recruitment, a new technical center in the United Kingdom, massive modernization of the Hinwil plant. The internal message is clear: the past is buried.
binotto He speaks of a team that is "energized," "confident," almost dangerous. A structure that is no longer afraid of failing, because it has learned how to win.
Make no mistake: the C45 is only a prelude. Audi knows that 2026 will change everything. But this time, it will arrive armed with a much deeper understanding of aerodynamics, reliable tools, and an established technical culture.
The stated objective? The world title by 2030. Ambitious? Yes. Unrealistic? Not anymore.
The history of “special forces” is not just one of improved performance. It is one of mental transformation. Audi He understood one essential thing in modern F1: Speed comes after method.
And now, the paddock knows: Audi It's no longer the shy newcomer at the back of the stands. It's the project that learns quickly. And strikes without warning. Formula 1 is warned.
