Ahead of its first Formula 1 night race, the Audi Revolut F1 team dropped a new Singapore-inspired livery for the R26, an Adidas capsule collection, and a special (and sadly forbidden to us) RS 5 Avant. Yes, Audi is making the most of its debut season and we love to see it.
The team is all over the city leading up to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, with pop-ups and collabs with some of the key players in this city’s famous food scene. With the Birds of Paradise botanical gelato shop, the team is doing a limited-time GABICO flavour, named for drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg. (We’ll report back on how it tastes asap.) And, with the to-die-for Burnt Ends Bakery and Michelin-starred chef Dave Pynt, the team is doing a weekly special at the House of Progress pop-up. Burnt Ends’ cupcake-style take on the apple strudel alone might be worth the trip halfway around the world to Singapore. Fans can burn off the calories at the team’s running club on Sunday morning, organized in conjunction with local clubs.
Stefano Battiston, chief brand officer for the Audi Revolut F1 team, said this is all part of their vision of bringing F1 closer to the people. “In Singapore, we are putting that promise into practice through experiences shaped by the city’s culture and communities,” he explained. Judging by the crowds at Audi’s local events leading up to Grand Prix weekend, it’s a strategy that’s resonating with fans.
R26 Peranakan Livery
It may be the team’s rookie season in F1, but Audi is already winning when it comes to the special liveries this year. The first was a searing yellow celebrating Tazio Nuvolari and Audi’s Nuvolari supercar, unveiled at the Monaco Grand Prix. Now comes this ice-blue livery that pays homage to the traditional Peranakan patterns found throughout Singapore and Malaysia. Instead of the usual Titanium Silver Grey, the front half of the R26 has a blue shimmer inspired by the city’s lights and reflections. The back half of the car wears an original geometric Peranakan pattern.
Those traditional patterns — often found on ceramic tiles — each evoke a different meaning. For example, “the ‘geometric lattice’ is a common pattern used on Peranakan tiles believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the household,” according to Garland Magazine. And Audi could definitely use a bit of luck going into the 17th round of the F1 season as the team looks to climb up the midfield.
Fans can’t take home the R26 car, of course, but they can at least take home a slice of its special livery in the form of limited edition T-shirts, hats, slides and sweaters from the special Singapore Collection by Adidas. Not bad for a consolation prize.
And, last but not least, Audi is also showing off its spicy new RS 5 Avant wagon at the Singapore Grand Prix. Like the R26, it’s wrapped in a special ice-blue hue that shows off the car’s bulging wheel arches and aggressive stance. It’s no secret that we love this car; after we drove it in Morocco, it quickly became clear the RS 5 is something of a rebirth for Audi Sport. It’s more engaging and, well, just more fun than past models. (Is it a coincidence this rebirth arrived alongside the company’s F1 debut? We think not.) In Canada, we get the RS 5 sedan, which is nice, but the RS 5 Avant is forbidden fruit. After seeing that fast wagon in Singapore at night under the city lights — oof, we really want it. Almost as much as we want another one of those apple strudels from Burnt Ends. So, how about it, Audi?
