Audi: the first with a B version, but it’s not a zero-pods

Audi changes its skin. The company with the four rings was among the first to christen its single-seater on the track, carrying out a shakedown at the beginning of January, a tight deadline which evidently forced it to decide on a still immature version of the R26. Jonathan Wheatley’s team now arrives in Bahrain with a more elaborate look, taking inspiration from some solutions of the Mercedes W13, but reinterpreting them in its own way. Vertical vents are back The most obvious change on the R26 concerns the side air intakes, which go from a flattened shape to a vertical one that hugs the frame. The image immediately recalls the 2022 Mercedes W13, also equipped with vertical vents, but with a very different objective. On that occasion, in fact, the Brackley team aimed to taper the bodywork as much as possible, so much so that they renamed the concept “zero-pods”, requiring the radiators to be packaged in such a way as to reduce the frontal section. The philosophy pursued by Audi is completely different. The sides remain wide, as in the shakedown version, unlike which, however, they now descend downwards, channeling the flows from the upper part towards the gearbox area. Furthermore, near the cooling vents, you can see the new supports for the rear-view mirrors, while the end of the lateral anti-intrusion cone emerges from the belly, albeit in a less obvious and refined way than on the Red Bull. The choice to switch to a vertical configuration of the cooling vents has aerodynamic origins. It is the result of the study conducted to find the best compromise between the conveyance of the cooling air, the channeling of the flows under the bellies and the management of the turbulence of the front wheels. The section of the air intakes influences the high pressure area that is generated on the sides of the cockpit, which in turn is useful in repelling the turbulent wake away from the bottom. This is an area where this year there is great diversity between the teams, a consequence of the differences also in terms of the wing and front suspension, with a diversification of the flow fields that hit the cars. The front wing is also new. Among the most obvious changes to the R26 are also those to the front wing. The team has adjusted the performance of the main profile and especially the upper ones, without there being any clarity at the moment whether these are simply two different configurations for high and low load or whether the team wanted to change the setting of the flows directed to the suspension. The presence of other innovations, however, tends to support the second hypothesis. The nose, for example, is now much lower and closer to the main profile, seeking that particular squat shape also seen on the Aston Martin. The change took away space for the active aerodynamic actuator, forcing the team to display two separate elements in a lateral position, as on the Racing Bulls. In any case, Audi is testimony to how rich the 2026 season will be on the development front, even before the lights go out in Melbourne.