AUDI CONFIRMS FREDDIE SLATER AS FIRST SIGNING OF NEW F1 DRIVER PROGRAMME

Audi F1 has launched a Driver Development Programme, and its first signee is one of the most exciting young prospects in the world, Freddie Slater.

In what Audi calls its ‘first concrete step’ in their blueprint to identify and develop future Formula 1 drivers, Slater represents a marquee signing, as the reigning Formula Regional European champion prepares for his first full Formula 3 season in 2026.

Audi confirms Freddie Slater as first junior driver

Audi has arrived on the grid for F1 2026, following its takeover of the Sauber squad. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto remain for the transition, as both drivers prepare to front the Audi charge in the German brand’s debut F1 season.

But, Audi is already looking ahead to the future by forming a Driver Development Programme. In its very first signing, Audi has brought in one of the top young talents in the world.

Slater will be targeting an F3 title challenge in 2026, now with Audi behind him. This marks the first time that Slater has affiliated himself with any driver academy.

Slater, the 17-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, has the Ginetta Junior Winter, Ginetta Junior, UAE Formula 4, Italian Formula 4 and Formula Regional European Championship titles all on his CV.

Slater broke the record previously held by Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli for the most wins in an Italian F4 season. Antonelli won 13, but Slater took 15 race wins in 2024, as well as 11 pole positions.

161 points clear of runner-up Jack Beeton by the end of the season, that was the biggest winning margin ever seen in Italian F4.

Slater followed that up by winning the 2025 FRECA title, and also impressed during his part-time F3 appearances, finishing P2 on debut with AIX Racing in the Bahrain Sprint race.

Set to race full-time in F3 2026 with Trident, Slater has joined forces with Audi as their first F1 development driver.

Reacting to the announcement, Slater said: “It’s an incredible honour to be the first driver selected for the Audi Driver Development Programme.

“Audi is a brand with a legendary motorsport history, and to have their trust and support at this crucial stage of my career is a dream come true.

“Joining forces with a respected team like Trident Motorsport for Formula 3 and having the backing of Audi Revolut F1 Team is a massive opportunity. I am fully focused on working hard and making the most of this pivotal step towards my goal of reaching Formula One.”

Audi Driver Development Programme chief Allan McNish added: “In Freddie, we see the immense potential of a future star.

“His track record is remarkable, but more importantly, he possesses the focus, determination, and willingness to learn that are essential for reaching the pinnacle of our sport.

“He is the ideal candidate to be the first signing of the Audi Driver Development Programme, and we are committed to providing him with the tools, mentorship, and support he needs to succeed as he steps up to Formula 3 with Trident Motorsport.

“This is the first step in building our future on and off the track.”

- Jamie Woodhouse

SLATER RETAINS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD IN AUSTRIA | R07 SPIELBERG - FRECA RACE REPORT

Freddie Slater exited the seventh round of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine on top of the driver standings despite a tricky weekend at Red Bull Ring. The British driver faced some issues on Saturday, qualifying in row 9, and maximized what he could achieve with P12 in the first race. In qualifying 2, Slater secured third in his group and then proceeded to finish the race in a positive P4.

Rashid Al Dhaheri continued to show a great pace and achieved a double points finish after being impressive in qualifying and putting up a solid and consistent pace. The Emirati had a best finish of P5 at the Austrian venue. 

Jack Beeton had an improving weekend. The Australian had a tough qualifying session and was affected by contact in race 1. For Race 2, he delivered progress, qualifying in the top seven and equalling his best finish of the year with P6

Last but not least, Alex Powell returned to PREMA to make his FRECA debut and focused on gaining chemistry with the new series for him. Lining up with more experienced drivers, he took the weekend as a learning process, gaining miles and experience aboard the Formula Regional car. 

The next round for FRECA will be in a two-week time in Barcelona.

#14 RASHID AL DHAHERI

"A positive weekend after a difficult one in Imola. This time, we made a good step forward. I think the conditions were quite tricky for all when it's cold and the track grip isn't high. We did a good job in improving and fixing the car, and improved from Q1 to Q2. In the races, the pace was quite good. So overall, a positive weekend, and Barcelona should be a good track for us. We'll see how it goes."

#27 FREDDIE SLATER

"It was a pretty tricky weekend for us. The pace was very good in practice. We knew we were fighting for the front, but we also knew it was going to be close. Unfortunately, we had two technical issues in qualifying and in race 1 that were out of our control. For qualifying 2 and race 2, we were there, but the step we had to take was huge, and there was not much chance for overtaking. We need to bounce back in Barcelona and hopefully have a few things go our way. We need a bit of a flow, and we hope it will happen there."

#41 ALEX POWELL

"First FRECA weekend done. For sure, a learning experience, and a lot of lessons to take forward. Very different from what I'm used to, but I'm happy to be back with PREMA and to get the good vibe again. A challenging weekend to say the least, but I learned a lot and I should be in a better place the next time I will race."

#45 JACK BEETON

"The pace was great in testing, but everything went a bit downhill after that. I was quite slow on Friday and Saturday, a combination of circumstances, some of them in my control and some not. In Race 1, I was involved in a contact. I went back to the pit lane to change the front wing and finished at the back. On Sunday, the car was fine, I ended up with P7 on the grid, and I stayed there for the whole race. I got up to P6 due to penalties, but the pace was pretty decent. Cheers to the team for that. We keep pushing, three more rounds to go!"

- Prema Racing SRL/Prema Racing LLC