Audi has announced British oil and gas giant bp as the first Official Partner for its imminent F1 entry, which is set to happen in 2026.

As per the deal, bp and Castrol will work together to provide Audi with tech and innovation to enhance its upcoming Formula One journey. bp will be supplying Audi with bespoke Castrol lubricants and greases, including Castrol EDGE, Castrol’s most advanced engine oil, for the V6 turbo engine.

The long-term sponsorship agreement, which will see bp become the Audi team’s Official Partner, will entail marketing and branding rights. bp’s German fuel and retail brand Aral will also gain marketing and branding rights, as will Castrol. 

Andreas Seidl, CEO of the Audi F1 team, commented:

“Audi and bp have always worked together successfully in motorsport. We are delighted that we can take this special partnership to the next level in Formula 1. Audi stands for ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ and bp and Castrol also aspires to deliver the best technologies in the field of fuels and lubricants. This is a perfect match. It is a strong signal for Audi’s future F1 factory team that we have been able to establish this partnership at such an early stage. We sense the appeal of the Audi F1 Project and how many renowned companies want to work with Audi in Formula 1.“

Nicola Buck, SVP Marketing, bp, added:

“We are proud that Audi has once again chosen to partner with bp and Castrol, this time for their entry into Formula 1. It gives our premium brands the opportunity to showcase our technical expertise at the pinnacle of motorsport. We are already making great progress with the Audi F1 Project on the development of the bp fuel and Castrol lubricants as we seek to innovate and unlock maximum engine performance for the Audi F1 Power Unit from 2026.“

Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH, said:

“This partnership is of great importance to us. There will be strong competition in the field of sustainable fuels in Formula 1 from 2026. In view of the high performance potential, it was important for us to start our fuel testing at the end of 2022 with bp as our partner. The combustion process is highly complex and can only be optimised by developing the engine in combination with the fuel properties. That’s why at Audi Formula Racing, where we are well advanced with Audi’s F1 power unit development, we use all three single-cylinder test benches allowed by the FIA regulations intensively for fuel development. It is impressive how many different fuel variants we have developed to date as we prepare for our 2026 race season. I am convinced that we are perfectly positioned with bp and Castrol.“