There may still be three races left on the 2025 Formula 1 calendar, but Audi is ready for the 2026 season to get underway.

The German marque unveiled an unusual concept called R26 on Wednesday. No, the low-slung, stretched out vehicle doesn’t offer up a glimpse of a future road car. Instead, it previews the automaker’s first F1 car, which is set to start competing in the championship next year.

Audi has plenty of experience in motorsports, but 2026 will mark the first year it’s competed in F1. The competition’s cars don’t change much season to season, and because of this the R26 doesn’t look radically different from those that will be competing for the checkered flag in Las Vegas on Saturday, 22 November. It features a louvred front wing, extended nose box, curvaceous body, a halo device protecting the open-air cockpit, and an adjustable rear wing.

The vehicle’s general shape and profile may not hold any surprises, but its livery does. Audi makes clear that R26 previews its new “Formula 1 identity.” The design, which is defined by precise geometric cuts, consists of three colours: Titanium up front, Audi Red on the side pods, and Carbon Black in the rear. The brand’s iconic logo can also be seen in Audi Red on the tip of the nose, on the sides of the engine intake, and on top of the rear wing. The finished car, which will be officially unveiled in January, will also be littered with sponsor decals, but this is more or less what to expect from the brand’s first F1 car.

“We are implementing a unifying design language that draws together every aspect of our organisation,” the company’s chief creative officer, Massimo Frascella, said in a statement. “This makes the Formula 1 project a pioneer for the new brand identity, which will be rolled out in the future both for the F1 team and Audi as a whole.”