Audi has revealed a one-off look for its first Formula 1 night race, and we like it mostly because Audi didn’t overdo it. The R26 Singapore Special Livery runs from Friday’s first practice session at Marina Bay this weekend, and Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix is Round 17 of the championship.
Audi revealed the design online on October 5. It keeps the straight geometric cuts of the base race livery and changes the color and the detail work.
What the R26 wears in Singapore
The main color is a Singapore-specific take on Titanium Silver Grey, with a blue shimmer Audi says was inspired by the city’s lights and reflections. Under the circuit’s floodlights, the shade is meant to gain depth and change in appearance as the car moves through its surroundings.
A Traditional Peranakan Pattern on the rear wing and sidepods is Audi’s nod to Singapore’s heritage. Nico Hülkenberg (car 27) and Gabriel Bortoleto (car 5) wear race suits in the same design all weekend.
A special livery can easily turn into a costume. This one still reads as the R26 from a distance, with Singapore carried by the paint and the pattern rather than a full redesign.
“Audi’s special livery expresses our brand through a design shaped by the city, and fans around the world can discover it for themselves through the online reveal.”
Stefano Battiston, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer, Audi Revolut F1 Team
Audi’s first F1 race under the lights
Singapore has been Formula 1’s original night race since 2008, and this is Audi’s first night race in Formula 1. It’s also the first Sprint weekend Singapore has hosted, and Audi notes it’s the sixth and final Sprint of the year.
That schedule gives you two looks at the livery. Practice and the Sprint run in daylight, with the Sprint finishing before sunset. Sprint Qualifying, Grand Prix Qualifying and the Grand Prix run at night, which is where the blue shimmer is meant to show.
First practice starts at 4:30 a.m. ET on Friday, October 9 (16:30 in Singapore). On Saturday, October 10, the Sprint starts at 5:00 a.m. ET (17:00 in Singapore) and Grand Prix Qualifying at 9:00 a.m. ET (21:00). The Grand Prix starts at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 11 (20:00 in Singapore), over 62 laps of the 3.061-mile (4.927 km) Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Suits, caps and an RS 5 tie-in
The livery is part of “The Art of Influence,” Audi’s program of experiences across Singapore and online. Official Team Partner adidas has a limited-edition Singapore capsule with the cap both drivers wear over the weekend, a graphic T-shirt, a sweatshirt and special-edition Adilette slides, on sale at store.audif1.com.
The road-car link is the RS 5. In Audi’s words, “The new Audi RS 5 will also make its Asian premiere in Singapore with a corresponding colour treatment. The related approaches create a visual connection between the R26 on the circuit and the RS 5 on the road.”
For photos of the R26 under the Marina Bay lights this weekend, follow @audi_obsession on Instagram.
Sources: Audi Revolut F1 Team Content Hub release. Audi Revolut F1 Team Singapore preview. Formula 1 livery gallery. Formula 1 Singapore timetable.