New F1 team Audi tempering expectations for Melbourne opener
A quick morning run through Melbourne's parks and tree-lined boulevards is about the only free time Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley can allow himself as the rebooted Formula One outfit prepares for the Australian Grand Prix. Like all F1 teams, Audi is grappling with the biggest overhaul of engine and chassis regulations in decades. Unlike other teams, Audi, formerly Sauber, is doing it while on the throes of transition. Powered by Ferrari engines, Sauber finished ninth of 10 teams in the 2025 Constructors' Championship but its tally of 70 points was its best since 2012. Gone is Sauber's glaring green livery, replaced by sleek titanium, black and red for Audi's debut R26 car. Now, backed by Qatari sovereign wealth and powered by a new Audi-built engine, the team might have been expected to kick on to bigger and better things this season after launching a five-year plan to win an F1 championship. Wheatley, however, is tempering expectations ahead of the season-opener at Albert Park. With modest achievements in F1, Sauber enjoyed little airtime on Netflix's popular 'Drive to Survive' series. But that could change with Audi's popularity. Wheatley would welcome Netflix exposure, even if it's not the front of mind for him.
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