Formula 1 is a cut-throat business. Every opportunity you get to get one up on rivals is something you take. Audi announced their entry into the Formula 1 World Championship from 2026 onwards in a press conference they held earlier today. Not only that, but in the press conference, they didn’t shy away from taking a dig at their potential future rivals at Mercedes.

Audi intends to enter the sport as an engine supplier. However, who they shall team up with is still to be seen, and they have hinted to announce that sometime later in the year. However, what got most people’s attention is that they took a dig at their German compatriots and Formula 1 stalwarts, Mercedes.

The German outfit is based out of Brackley, United Kingdom. This means that their Formula 1 operations, including the factory where they manufacture the F1 engines, are based in the UK rather than Germany. Audi, German by nationality, was quick to point that out.

In their press release, Audi highlighted that “This is the first time in more than a decade that a Formula 1 power train will be built in Germany.” That would’ve stung, right?

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Formula 1 fans have been ecstatic at the prospect of seeing a new face in the paddock. With Audi, there comes hope for new alliances, new pecking order, and possibly new drivers.

Formula 1 fans react as Audi announces their entry into the sport to compete with Mercedes in 2026

The official Instagram account of Formula 1 earlier today confirmed Audi’s entry into the sport at the start of the 2026 season. This sent fans into a frenzy. The post garnered a multitude of responses. All positive, of course!

One fan was quick to make a seemingly legitimate demand. “@sebastianvettel comeback in 2026 please?”

Another fan was quick to give context, “A German team with a German driver maybe.”

All in all, the state of Formula 1 fans’ emotions can be summed up with this one comment, “LETS GOO”.

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Will Audi be able to have a competitive power unit from the very get-go? How will the Mercedes-Audi rivalry pan out on track and off of it?