Porsche and Audi will both compete in Formula 1, according to Herbert Diess, CEO of parent company Volkswagen Group.
Diess announced that the group’s Porsche and Audi brands will both participate in the sport during an online “Dialogue with Diess” question-and-answer session. He said, “You just run out of reasons [not to join F1].
The decision to enter F1 divided the Volkswagen Group board of directors, according to Diess, who also disclosed that the board ultimately decided to approve the move since it will generate more money than it will cost.
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Audi and Porsche: F1 participation?
Following months of rumors regarding their separate ambitions, Porsche and Audi will join the F1 grid when the sport’s new engine formula is in effect, according to the CEO of the Volkswagen Group.
Who will Audi and Porsche replace in Formula One?
Porsche and Audi, which are owned by Volkswagen, have long been linked to Formula 1. Now that it’s official, it’s clear that the big investment will result in a profit.
Herbert Diess, the CEO of VW, announced on Monday that when technical restrictions pertaining to the that promote energy efficiency take effect, the two luxury brands will join the top international racing league. Diess noted, “You need a regulation change to enter Formula 1; otherwise, a technology window will not open up.
Volkswagen’s actions will probably take one of two forms: first, Porsche will likely collaborate with Oracle Red Bull Racing to take Honda’s place as the engine supplier. The Japanese manufacturer will still provide support for the 2022 season, but the racing team had to launch Red Bull Powertrains, a section dedicated to power units.
Although the supercar manufacturer has found better financial footing thanks to a Saudi equity investment of 50 million ($758 million U.S.), the play with Audi may involve buying McLaren. Approximately 500 million euros ($556.3 million U.S.) is what Audi apparently has to offer for McLaren.
Although there were reportedly “divisions at an event regarding admission into F1 in Wolfsburg, where Volkswagen is based, Diess ultimately remarked, “You just run out of arguments, “for not enlisting.
Which F1 team will Audi purchase?
The Volkswagen Group plans to participate in Formula 1 starting in 2026. The car-developer sees chances for future F1 development in a positive way. There are rumors of an engine contract between Porsche and Red Bull Racing. According to the most recent rumors, Audi wants a significant stake in Sauber F1. With it, they are anticipated to replace Alfa Romeo and establish the Formula 1 collaboration between Audi and Sauber.
Will VW enter the F1?
The German automaker has been making progress with its F1 intentions and recently made a public announcement saying that a final approval to proceed would come when F1’s new engine regulations for 2026 were finalized.
However, VW CEO Herbert Diess disclosed just how far along the firm is in its preparations in a YouTube video he posted on Monday in response to queries from citizens of Wolfsburg, where the company is headquartered.
According to Diess, an opportunity to make the move has arrived that won’t be replicated for some time because of the surge F1 is experiencing in important areas like the USA and the potential presented by an entirely new regulations set in 2026.
“The Formula 1 fan base has greatly increased in the United States as a result of the marketing that is taking place there and Netflix. Asia is expanding substantially, particularly with regard to youthful consumer groups.
“When comparing big sporting events throughout the world, Formula 1 is the only competition that actually matters and is getting more and more distinct.
“If you compete in motorsports, you should focus on Formula 1, as it has the biggest impact.
“In addition, you cannot enter Formula 1 unless a technological window opens, which requires a rule change to allow entry: everyone must restart from the same position.
Currently, Porsche is working with Penske to prepare an LMDh attack at Le Mans, while Audi has recently concentrated its factory efforts on the Dakar Rally.
“According to Markus Duesman, the chairman of Audi and a former head of powertrains for BMW F1, you can typically gain one second per season on a medium-sized racetrack by merely optimizing the little things.
“However, you can’t make up for it when you join a new team; it takes five to ten years to be at the top. In other words, you can only join if there is a significant regulation change.
“That is already happening and will continue to happen until 2026, when engines will be considerably more heavily electrified, including using synthetic fuels. That indicates that you require the development of a new engine, which will take three to four years.
“That implies you can choose to participate in Formula 1 right away or elect not to for ten years. And our two premium brands are giving that a priority because they believe it to be the right thing to do.
Diess affirmed that the Volkswagen brand will not be a part of the organization’s F1 aspirations, with Porsche and Audi resolving to enter the sport on their own.
Red Bull and Porsche have been tied together the most, with Diess confirming that Porsche’s intentions are more “concrete” than Audi’s, which has not yet chosen a partner.
“He stated that VW will not be involved. “The brand won’t participate since it doesn’t fit.
Diess claimed that a move to F1 was a no-brainer given that Porsche and Audi had high long-term sales goals and that study had shown that F1 programs could help the two automakers turn a profit.
“He claimed that because Porsche is the sportiest automobile brand on the planet, it must participate in motorsport.
“And you come to the conclusion that, if Porsche participates in motorsport, Formula 1 is the most effective course of action. There’s virtually a need to check that box.
Added him: “Compared to Porsche, Audi is a considerably weaker brand. It can’t charge such a significant price premium. Due to the far bigger potential for the brand, Audi actually has a stronger argument for participating in Formula 1.
“They are advancing into more competitive markets where they will face off against Daimler, and Audi will also have a cause to support their position.
“Additionally, Audi sends between four and five billion to Wolfsburg each year, and it will send even more with Formula 1 than without. You simply run out of reasons at that point.
“You may object, “But I don’t believe in Formula 1,” but there are solid reasons to believe that the sport will continue to develop. Why should you limit them if doing so results in increased revenue?
Even though Diess believes that Porsche and Audi should enter the Formula One, he has acknowledged that not everyone on the VW Board shares his opinion at a time when the auto sector is undergoing change due to the transition to electric vehicles.
“He stated that not everyone on the Board agreed with the conversation. “Certainly, we have other strategic interests.
Will Lamborghini enter the F1?
A renowned supercar manufacturer called Lamborghini is renowned for creating some of the world’s most unusual and sought-after automobiles. Despite its widespread appeal, Lamborghini rarely makes news for entering Formula 1.
Lamborghini probably won’t make a move to F1 anytime soon. Early in the 1990s, Lamborghini briefly participated in Formula One as an engine supplier, but they never became an official team. The Volkswagen group, which owns Lamborghini, ultimately determines whether or not the company will participate in the sport.
When joining as a new team, it might be challenging to stay up with the other teams due to the fierce competition in Formula One. Additionally, joining Formula 1 is not an easy procedure, which we shall go into more depth about below.
Why doesn’t Audi compete in Formula One?
All of the major exotic vehicle manufacturers have competed in F1 or, at the absolute least, provided engines for the sport throughout its history.
The F1 grid has formerly featured vehicles with the names Aston Martin, Maserati, Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Lamborghini, Lotus, Jaguar, and Mercedes Benz. You now have a real who’s who of the automotive industry, including the enduring Ferrari and contemporary automotive behemoths Honda, Renault, and Toyota.
Despite its long history and popularity, there are surprisingly few names from the real world of motorsport on the roster of teams competing in F1 today.
The only car brands you can actually buy are Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, and, to a lesser extent, McLaren. The two Lotus teams who absurdly compete this year have no connection to the British sports car manufacturer of the same name (owned by Malaysia).
The concentration of ownership of these well-known names is one of the main issues. They used to be powerful, independent businesses, but today they are just branches on the conglomerate tree.
For instance, Fiat is the owner of Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, and Ferrari. Audi, Bugatti, Bentley, and Lamborghini are all under Porsche control at Volkswagen.
Where are Peugeot or BMW? Why are Japanese firms no longer in a position to compete? Why couldn’t one of the Porsche stable’s brands stand in for the group?
Audi has developed a solution. They have revealed their cards after years of tease teasers about an F1 effort.
Audi believes that F1 is unimportant. Audi’s director of racing, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, defends the harsh decision.
The road has no bearing on this. Audi has long participated in motorsports that our customers care about, like rallying and touring cars, which helped develop the quattro, FSI, and TFSI systems that are now included in our road cars.
This is the reason we rejected F1 in 1999. Instead, we made the decision to compete in the world’s biggest race. We chose Le Mans.
They are combative words. However, the argument has some merit given the number of passenger car manufacturers competing alongside Audi (11 in all) at Le Mans events.
That didn’t prevent Audi from planning an extravagant celebration in Singapore to coincide with the F1 race, though.
As brutal as Dr Ulrich’s assessment is, he gets the Ban Ki Moon award for diplomacy compared to the blunt assessment of F1 offered up by Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller who declared that it was “not interesting and “too expensive.”
Of course, those two learned men omit to mention that F1 is an absurdly challenging sport to master.
Why risk it all to be an afterthought in a world that is so different from your own when you’re the big fish in Le Mans racing, as is the case with Audi, or when you have many series exclusively dedicated to your brand, as does Porsche?
You know you’re not in Kansas anymore when racing behemoths like Mercedes and Ferrari attend a class from an energy drink manufacturer.
That, though, is the appeal. F1 should be unpredictable and innovative; it shouldn’t only be about racing road cars.
That is not to claim that Formula One is a very inventive sport. The idea that F1 has significantly advanced the automotive industry is widespread, but it doesn’t hold up to thorough examination.
F1 is better at extending existing technologies than it is at inventing new ones, leaving aside traction control and monocoque construction. While improvements in this field certainly have an impact on the passenger market, they don’t often garner the same attention as high-profile innovations like airbags.
The Olympics wouldn’t exist if sport were exclusively about practical applications, though. It wouldn’t be fun to see Usain Bolt shatter world records; we’d rather to watch police officers take out criminals.
Although Audi would be a great addition, F1 is unique and different, and the sport will continue to exist without them. In addition, a number of well-known past participants are already lined up to participate in the 2014 engine upgrades, joining first-timers Volkswagen and General Motors.
F1 is still without a doubt the best series, even though the Le Mans 24-hour may be the world’s best auto race (although the people of Monaco may disagree).
Audi and McLaren to sell?
The Volkswagen Group, which owns Audi, is well along in its preparations to convince the German automaker and its sister brand Porsche to join Formula One in 2026.
Porsche appears to be partnering with Red Bull, while Audi’s plans are less apparent as it continues to consider its choices.
A full takeover of the team, which would have made it the official Audi F1 team, was one of the options discussed in the company’s discussions with McLaren.
After the Audi entry, it was possible that the McLaren moniker would have completely vanished from grand prix racing.
However, Brown made it plain in remarks made prior to the Miami Grand Prix that the McLaren name would not be sold to Audi and would remain in use.
“Although we did spoken with Audi, we are not for sale. We have a strong commitment to the future, and our performance on the track is excellent.
“In order to provide our staff with the tools we need to retake the lead, shareholders are making large investments, and commercially, things are going incredibly well. The team has excellent morale. The racing team is not something we are interested in selling.”
Added him: “The McLaren F1 team. That is what we will continue to do, and we will continue to own the racing team.”
The team’s improved financial status, which has reversed the situation from a cash catastrophe at the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic, is the basis for Brown’s optimism about the future of McLaren.
He specifically points to a $185 million agreement with investor MSP Sports Capital as providing the team with a little more stability to act in its own best interests.
In contrast to 18 months ago, “we’re in a tremendously strong situation,” he declared. “You guys are all aware of the circumstances we were in 18 months ago before MSP Sports Capital entered and made an investment. Given the current situation, that now seems like a long time ago.
“We would require ownership of the racing team as a condition of any agreement. There is no conversation to be held if somebody wishes to have one that is different from that.”