- Audi debuted a one-off SQ8 Livery Version during the Chinese GP weekend.
- CFO Jurgen Rittersberger hinted at F1-themed RS road cars under consideration.
- F1 drivers may help calibrate handling and dynamics for future RS specials.
Audi isn’t wasting any time using its F1 credentials to sharpen its performance image. Fresh from its first Grand Prix appearance in Australia, the automaker revealed a special SQ8 during the race weekend in China. It may be a one-off, but the signs point to something bigger, with F1-inspired special editions likely in the pipeline.
Starting with the SQ8 Livery Edition, it features a bespoke wrap that echoes the Audi Revolut F1 team’s R26 single seater. The exterior blends Titanium Gray and Carbon Black shades, with Lava Red accents highlighting the alloy wheels, mirror caps, rear spoiler, front emblem, and tailpipes.
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Presented by F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg, the SUV serves as a one-off promotional piece for the Chinese market launch of the SQ8. That context helps explain why Audi didn’t apply the same treatment to the RS Q8, the performance flagship of its SUV lineup and a close relative of the Lamborghini Urus.
Audi SQ8 Livery Edition (China)
However, this marketing exercise appears to extend beyond a single showpiece with a fancy livery. Jurgen Rittersberger, Audi CFO and a member of the F1 team’s board of directors, recently hinted that elements of Formula 1 could make their way into the brand’s high-performance RS models.
Special Editions “Loaded With Content”
Our colleagues at Australia’s Drive put the question directly to him, floating the idea of an F1-themed RS5 with a bit more edge. Rittersberger didn’t shut it down. “Let’s see,” he said, before adding that any RS5 special edition would need to go beyond badges and decals. In his view, it should bring meaningful upgrades and feel properly “loaded with content,” rather than just trading on the branding alone.
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Still, the CFO clarified that the secret sauce would likely come from the F1 drivers rather than the engineers of the ex-Sauber F1 team.
“Not in engineering, but for sure, we have opportunities to work together with our F1 colleagues, especially with the drivers,” he said. “Maybe they can, for example, help to buy the application of the car from time to time – especially here, also for the sports cars. Not, let’s say, for a Q3 or A3, but for RS5 or something like that, it could be helpful to have a driver in the car and hear their opinion.”
Our speculative rendering of an F1-inspired Audi RS5 Avant.
Putting drivers like Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto to work on the RS5’s suspension and electronics would go a long way toward justifying a pricier special edition, even without extra power. In order to better resonate with F1 fans, such a model could also gain special graphics and additional aero components.
Others Have Done It In The Past
Toyota has already shown how effective that formula can be. Its GR Yaris comes in special editions named after WRC drivers Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä, each with bespoke all-wheel-drive modes tuned to reflect their individual driving styles.
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Formula 1 has long fed into road car marketing in much the same way. Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, and Mercedes-AMG have all leaned on their racing ties with models like the Giulia Quadrifoglio Racing Edition, Vantage F1 Edition, and A45 Petronas 2015 World Champion Edition. Renault took a similar route with its Megane RS Red Bull Racing RB8 and Clio RS 197 F1 Team R27, turning track credentials into something buyers could park in their own garage.
