Ahead of the inaugural Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, Audi has brought nearly 90 years of its motorsport history into central Madrid with a temporary exhibition at Plaza de Colón. Open September 9–12, the installation combines four significant Audi and Auto Union competition cars with the new Audi R26 Formula 1 car and a large-scale recreation of one of Madring’s most distinctive features.
The most immediately visible element is Audi’s “Curva Monumental,” a recreation of La Monumental, the dramatically banked corner at the new Madring circuit. The actual corner features banking of up to 24 percent, with Formula 1 cars expected to enter at more than 300 km/h (186 mph). Audi has recreated the structure in Plaza de Colón as the entrance to its exhibition, giving visitors in the center of Madrid an opportunity to appreciate the scale of the new circuit feature before the first Spanish Grand Prix is held there.
NEARLY 90 YEARS OF AUDI MOTORSPORT
Inside, the oldest car on display is a 1936 Auto Union Type C, representing the Grand Prix racing era from which Audi traces its earliest top-level competition heritage. Designed around a mid-mounted 6.0-liter V16 producing 382 kW (520 hp), the Type C was capable of more than 340 km/h (211 mph) and competed among the famous German Silver Arrows of the 1930s.
The exhibition then jumps forward nearly half a century to the 1985 Audi Sport quattro S1 E2, one of the defining cars of the Group B rally era. The five-cylinder, 350-kW (476-hp) quattro on display is particularly notable because Audi identifies the white car as the homologation example used ahead of construction of the remaining S1 E2 competition cars.
Audi’s Le Mans era is represented by the R10 TDI that won the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans with Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello. Its 5.5-liter V12 TDI produced 478 kW (650 hp), and the R10 program had made history two years earlier when Audi became the first manufacturer to win Le Mans overall with a diesel-powered prototype.
Completing the quartet is the Audi RS Q e-tron, which took a very different approach to endurance competition. Its electrified drivetrain combined electric propulsion and a high-voltage battery with an onboard energy converter for long-distance rally competition. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz won the 2024 Dakar Rally with the car, delivering the program its signature victory.
The historic cars lead visitors toward Audi’s present-day R26 Formula 1 car, creating a timeline from Auto Union Grand Prix racing through rallying, Le Mans and Dakar to Audi’s arrival in Formula 1. The juxtaposition of the Type C and R26 is especially appropriate in Madrid, where Audi is effectively returning to Grand Prix racing nearly nine decades after the Auto Union era.
VISITING THE EXHIBITION
Audi opened the installation on September 9 with an appearance by Formula 1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who was interviewed by journalist and racing driver Christine GZ. On September 10, GZ and Formula 1 engineer and commentator Toni Cuquerella are hosting guided tours between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m.
The exhibition remains open through September 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Admission is free but organized into approximately 15-minute sessions, with advance registration available online and limited same-day registration offered at the site. Visitors can also use an AI-powered photo booth that creates personalized motorsport-themed images accessible afterward by QR code.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Event: Audi Motorsport Exhibition Madrid
Location: Plaza de Colón, Madrid, Spain
Dates: September 9–12, 2026
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Admission: Free; registration required
Highlights: Auto Union Type C, Audi Sport quattro S1 E2, 2008 Le Mans-winning Audi R10 TDI, Audi RS Q e-tron, Audi R26 and Curva Monumental Madring installation
PHOTO GALLERY
