As the F1 teams make their way from The Netherlands to Italy, this intermission from the full season coverage presents an opportunity to catch up on F1 news from the Audi Revolut F1 Team.
Here’s a rundown.
Clara Stiebleichinger to Represent Audi Revolut F1 Academy Programme at F1 Academy Rookie Test
Austrian emerging talent, Clara Stiebleichinger, will represent Audi Revolut F1 Academy Programme in the F1 Academy Rookie Test, taking place at the Navarra circuit next month. The 21-year-old will drive a team-branded car, operated by Rodin Motorsport, as she continues to build her experience in single-seater racing.
Before turning to motorsport, Clara competed as a professional alpine ski racer in her native Austria. Her racing journey began in 2024, when she took part in the Feed Racing Shootout Programme in France. Despite not having any previous experience in karting or sim racing, she first got a taste of Formula 4 machinery at the beginning of 2025, before making her racing debut in the Indian F4 Championship later that year.
In her first season of competition, Clara finished 11th overall out of 21 drivers and as the highest-ranked female driver in the championship, with a best result of fourth place. The experience allowed her to gain valuable racing mileage before making the move to the French F4 Championship for 2026.
This season, Clara has continued to make progress in French F4, setting a best qualifying result of fourth place and becoming only the second woman to score points in the history of the championship. She is also currently in the fight for the Women’s Championship title.
Following its successful debut in 2025, the F1 Academy Rookie Test will return this year alongside the newly launched Rookie Training Camp supported by Loughborough University. The programme will combine physical and cognitive assessments, workshops and preparation for the demands of professional racing, before concluding with the on-track Rookie Test at Circuito de Navarra on 9-11 September.
Allan McNish, Director of the Audi Driver Development Programme
“Clara has already shown her potential in the short time she has been racing, and the F1 Academy Rookie Test is a valuable opportunity for her to gain more experience on and off the track. Supporting emerging talent is a key pillar of the Audi Driver Development Programme, and we are pleased to play our part in the important work F1 Academy is doing to create more opportunities for young women in motorsport. Together with Rodin Motorsport and their extensive experience in junior racing, we look forward to seeing Clara make the most of this opportunity.”
Clara Stiebleichinger, Driver
“I am looking forward to taking part in the F1 Academy Rookie Test this upcoming month. I am excited to learn as much as possible, work hard, and challenge myself. My main expectation is to gain valuable experience, understand where and how I can improve, and make the most out of every lap. I am very grateful to Audi Revolut F1 Team and Rodin Motorsport for this opportunity, proud to represent the team and excited to see what we can achieve together throughout the test.”
Benn Huntingford, Sporting Director of Rodin Motorsport
“Supporting young drivers is a core value of Rodin Motorsport and we are proud to contribute to Clara’s journey as she takes on this exciting opportunity. We look forward to working with Clara alongside Audi Revolut F1 Academy Programme and seeing her develop throughout the test.”
Innovation Against Microplastics: URBANFILTER at Dutch GP
Since September 2020, the Audi Environmental Foundation has supported the development of smart filters for street drains together with scientists from the Technical University of Berlin and other partners. At the Dutch Grand Prix of Formula 1 in Zandvoort, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) will deploy the URBANFILTER concept for the first time in top-level motorsport.
This innovative concept addresses a major but often overlooked source of pollution in everyday life: contaminants such as tire wear, brake dust, microplastics, and other pollutants that accumulate on the road surface. The goal is to filter as many of these particles as possible out of the environment before they enter the water cycle through rain or wind.
This is where a specially developed filter installed in street drainage channels comes into play. The URBANFILTER concept, developed with support from filtration expert GKD and rainwater specialist ARIS, has proven its effectiveness through laboratory and real-world tests in major cities such as Berlin and Copenhagen, as well as on an ADAC wet-handling track and a winding thoroughfare. During recent testing at the Zandvoort racetrack, a retention rate of up to 99% was achieved, depending on the intensity of the rain and the characteristics of the particles.
Audi Environmental Foundation as a pioneer
“We are proud that the FIA is providing this important issue with a global stage and a testing ground under extreme conditions through its involvement in Formula 1,” says Sven Veit, Managing Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation. “Motorsport is once again proving that it can serve as a technological role model.” Implementing the URBANFILTER concept on a Formula 1 racetrack shows how an innovation developed for urban environments can be scaled up and applied elsewhere.
Founded in 2009 as a wholly owned, nonprofit subsidiary of AUDI AG, the Audi Environmental Foundation focuses on promoting so-called “Greenovation” projects, which use innovative technologies to contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources.
“Motorsport is once again proving that it can serve as a technological role model.”
– Sven Veit, Managing Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation
Three-star environmental certification for the Neuburg site
Audi has been competing in Formula 1 with its own factory team since the beginning of this season. A key requirement for entering the premier class of motorsport was the FIA’s mandate to use synthetic or biomass-derived fuels, along with a high proportion of electrical energy.
Following a comprehensive audit a few months ago, the FIA awarded a three-star environmental certification to Audi’s Formula 1 power unit development site in Neuburg – the highest level under FIA guidelines. This certification builds on the existing ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications and reflects the Neuburg site’s implementation of specific measures, including the use of renewable energy sources for electricity and heat.