(16/07/24) Audi has expanded its partnership with bp as the
German company prepares to enter the pinnacle of motor racing in
2026.
The parties have been working closely together for
almost two years, co-engineering bp fuels and Castrol lubricants
to enable maximum performance from the Audi F1 Power Unit.
The expanded collaboration includes the
development of FIA-defined advanced sustainable fuel as required
by the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations from 2026, that dictate
the fuel must achieve greenhouse gas emissions savings relative to
fossil-derived petrol of at least 65%.
bp will also develop and supply Audi with a range
of bespoke Castrol lubricants and greases including Castrol EDGE,
Castrol’s most advanced engine oil, for the V6 turbo engine,
whilst electrical components of the Audi F1 Power Unit will use
the Castrol ON range of EV fluids.
The companies have also signed a long-term
sponsorship deal, with bp becoming the first official partner of
the future Audi factory team in Formula 1.
Audi and bp have expanded their long-standing partnership
The agreement includes marketing and branding
rights for bp, Castrol and Aral brands. Aral is bp’s fuel and
retail brand in Germany.
“We are
proud that Audi has once again chosen to partner with bp and
Castrol, this time for their entry into Formula 1,” said Nicola Buck, SVP
Marketing, bp. “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.”
Audi and bp already have a long and successful
joint history in motorsport with Castrol products being used to
win in every Audi motorsport factory program.
The partnership began back in
the 1980s in the World Rally Championship with the Audi quattro.
Castrol was also a partner of Audi in the FIA World Endurance
Championship (WEC), the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, FIA World
Rallycross Championship, FIA Formula E World Championship and in
the DTM race series.
The highly efficient 2 litre, 4-cylinder
turbo engine developed by Audi and used in the DTM in 2019 and
2020, became the most successful engine in the Class 1 era of the
DTM with Castrol lubricants and high-performance fuel developed by
Aral.
“This partnership is of great importance to us. There will be
strong competition in the field of sustainable fuels in Formula 1
from 2026,” said Adam Baker, CEO Audi Formula Racing GmbH. “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 optimized 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.”
