Prior to choosing to keep their new Formula 1 ventures “totally distinct,” Audi and Porsche had a “big conversation” about pooling their resources.
Both Volkswagen Group firms plan to make their F1 debuts in 2026. On Friday morning, Audi announced a standalone engine project. The company is also poised to finalize a deal to acquire the Sauber team.
Red Bull Technology, the company that makes the vehicles for Red Bull Racing and the components for AlphaTauri, has been linked to Porsche, who may purchase 50% of that business.
When Porsche and Audi’s interest in F1 first became known, it was assumed that the VW Group brands would pool their resources to make any F1 effort as affordable as possible.
Although Porsche and Audi have a history of competition, most recently in the Le Mans 24 Hours and in Formula E, it was revealed earlier this year that they would be independent ventures, which looked contradictory from an F1 perspective.
Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi, said: “We competed Porsche in Le Mans with totally different operations, and we’ll do the same thing in this situation.
“We will operate in Germany, and if Porsche participates, they will operate in the UK.”
The engine will be produced at Audi’s facility in Neuburg a der Donau, which is nearby Audi’s Ingolstadt corporate headquarters.
The automobile would be created and produced in Switzerland, assuming the manufacturer purchases Sauber.
Porsche, however, will collaborate with the newly established Red Bull Powertrains plant and share a location with that organization’s race team in Milton Keynes.
Duesmann acknowledged that there was “big discussion” about how to manage the twin programs, but “we chose to keep it entirely separate and execute two operations” since “both our brands have a lot of fans and both our brands have their distinct character.”
He stated: “There are lots of them. We’ll have many teams, thus the powerplant needs to be specifically tailored to the chassis.
“Due to the fact that we would have entirely distinct chassis, we decided to split it. Consequently, totally distinct powertrains.”
Oliver Hoffmann, the chief technical officer at Audi, also raised concerns about the logistics of a Porsche team working with Red Bull and an Audi-owned team creating its own vehicle.
A shared engine, according to him, would have caused too many issues with various car designs.
“It takes time to make it in two cars,” he remarked of the integration of the electric side of the powertrain with the chassis.
Therefore, it’s entirely different operations, and we’ll handle the integration work ourselves.
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Indication That They Can Make More Money Than Invest: Porsche and Audi’s Entry Into F1
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. You require a regulation change to enter Formula 1; as Diess put it, “You can’t get into Formula 1 unless a technology window opens.”
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 stronger financial footing thanks to a Saudi equity investment of PS50 million ($758 million U.S.), the play with Audi may involve buying McLaren. According to reports, Audi is prepared to buy McLaren for about EUR500 million ($556.3 million U.S.).
In the end, Diess stated, “You just run out of arguments” for not entering, despite reports that there were “divisions” during an event considering admission into F1 in Wolfsburg, where Volkswagen is based.
From 2026, Audi and Porsche plan to compete in Formula 1.
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.
Toto Wolff, CEO of Mercedes, claims that the addition of Porsche and Audi, two brands belonging to the Volkswagen Group, will only make racing more competitive.
In the early hours of Friday at Spa, Audi declared its intention to compete in Formula One in 2026 using a brand-new powertrain.
A deal to acquire Sauber, which is presently in competition under the Alfa Romeo banner, is almost ready to be finalized by the manufacturer.
Porsche, meanwhile, has not yet made a public announcement regarding its intention to collaborate with Red Bull Racing and the newly formed Red Bull Powertrains company.
Given that Mercedes just competed against the two German companies in Formula E, Wolff made it clear that Mercedes welcomes the rivalry.
“And having some of the best auto manufacturers in the world as competitors is excellent for the sport and great for us.
“The most difficult sporting competition for any automaker in the world is F1. With these newcomers, it already has been challenging and will only get more so.”
The new Audi Sport F1 concept car is unveiled by Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, Mohammed bin Sulayem, President of the FIA, Oliver Hoffmann, Head of Technical Development at Audi Sport GmbH, and Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG.
Wolff claimed to comprehend the various approaches Porsche and Audi are using for their respective initiatives.
“Given that one is your completely integrated works team in Switzerland and the other is your affiliation with one of the top F1 teams in the world, I believe you are simply hedging your bets. I think the dual-track approach makes sense.”
Jost Capito, the team principal of the Williams team and the former head of the VW WRC program, concurred that the strength of the sport was proved by Audi’s entry into Formula 1.
“It was unthinkable a few years ago, but today it’s even two manufacturers, two brands from the VW Group, with Porsche expected to confirm and Audi confirmed. Therefore, I believe it to be excellent for F1.
“I believe Audi has had success everywhere they have gone. And if they follow the program and take it seriously, they will arrive sooner or later, in my opinion. I’m quite certain about this.”
For some months, rumors have circulated that the two companies were in negotiations for alliances to reach the top division of international motor racing; Porsche is anticipated to team up with Red Bull, while Audi has been connected to a relationship with McLaren.
The Volkswagen group has intentions to join Formula One, and Craig Slater outlines what the new team would like.
According to VW CEO Herbert Diess, the premium Volkswagen brands Audi and Porsche persuaded the German automaker company that their entry into Formula 1 would be financially beneficial.
At a gathering in Wolfsburg, Germany, where the German automaker has its headquarters, Diess claimed that discussions by the board of directors over the plans of the two brands had led to some divides.
However, according to Diess, the brands finally made the argument that they would bring in more money for Wolfsburg with a Formula 1 commitment than without one. The brands, together with VW’s China division, are the group’s most significant income suppliers.
Since several months ago, rumors have circulated that the two brands were discussing joint ventures to compete in the top division of international auto racing, which has been controlled for the most of the past ten years by Volkswagen’s German rival Mercedes.
Diess added that the timing of the decision has been significantly influenced by the sport’s new engine regulations, which will be implemented for the 2026 season. Diess stated on Monday that Porsche’s preparations for entering Formula 1 are a little more substantial than Audi’s.
On a medium-sized race circuit, Diess continued, “you normally make up one second per season only by optimizing minutiae, as Markus Duesman (Audi chairman) always tells me.
“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 means you can choose to participate in Formula 1 right away or not for another ten years. And our two premium brands are giving that a priority because they believe it to be the right thing to do.”
Volkswagen has previously collaborated with Red Bull in the global rally championship but not in Formula One.
Red Bull, with whom Porsche has been associated for a number of years and who has their own Powertrains Division focusing on the 2026 revisions, is anticipated to collaborate with Porsche.
It’s unclear how Audi is connected. Although both companies have refuted rumors, it was previously believed that they were close to a contract with McLaren. Now, according to the German journal Auto Motor und Sport, Sauber, Williams, and Aston Martin are the most likely candidates.
Why Porsche and Audi won’t collaborate on an F1 engine program
Why won’t the two VW-owned companies collaborate on a power unit program if Audi has said that they would compete in Formula One in 2026 and Porsche is rumored to be doing the same?
Claims that Audi and Porsche might collaborate on a Formula 1 power unit project in 2026 have been refuted.
Audi will enter Formula One as an engine supplier, it was revealed on Friday after months of rumors.
The Volkswagen Group owns both the Audi and Porsche brands, and both have been strongly rumored to enter Formula One in 2026 to match with the sport’s new power unit regulations.
Herbert Diess, the outgoing CEO of the VW Group, had stated in May that Audi and Porsche will be allowed to compete in Formula One.
Audi CEO Markus Duesmann stated that there will not be a pooling of F1 resources between the two manufacturers, despite the fact that Porsche and Audi exchange components across their respective road car divisions.
“If Porsche enters, they will have their activities in the UK, fully distinct from [Audioperations ]’s in Germany.”
Audi and Porsche will start funding F1 teams in 2026.
The legendary two brands of German luxury automakers Audi and Porsche are expected to partner with racing teams in the motorsport championship when they enter Formula 1 in 2026.
Their parent corporation Volkswagen would be able to divide development costs among its Lamborghini, Porsche, and McLaren racing teams if they competed in Formula One. For the two automakers to compete in Formula 1, the supervisory board of Volkswagen must give its consent.
- As powerplant suppliers, Porsche and Audi would enter Formula 1.
- McLaren and Audi would collaborate to power Audi’s racing squad.
- Porsche is thinking about collaborating with Red Bull Racing.
Will Porsche ever make an F1 debut?
The Supervisory Board of VW Group authorized Porsche and Audi’s ambitions to enter Formula 1 in April. Porsche’s chairman announced in May that the company had begun working on an engine for the racing circuit.
Will Audi field an F1 team?
It follows the publication earlier this month of new power unit regulations, which were created expressly to make it practical and appealing for newcomers to enter the sport at a competitive level.
The 2026 power units will retain the current V6 internal combustion engine architecture but will have more electrical power and only use 100 percent sustainable fuels, according to Audi, two elements that were important in it joining.
Audi, a member of the Volkswagen Group, also stated that it supports F1’s goals to become more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. F1 has set a target of becoming Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and will establish a cost cap for power unit makers in 2023.
It also marks a significant acknowledgment of the importance of the automotive industry’s transition to hybrid engines powered by sustainable fuels in 2026. We are all anticipating seeing the Audi insignia on the starting grid and will learn more about their plans in due course. a
In advance of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Audi made its 2026 entry official at a press conference at Spa. Speakers included Domenicali, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development Oliver Hoffmann, and Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Markus Duesmann.
The manufacturer stated that by the end of this year, they will disclose their choice of team for 2026.
The engine will be constructed at Audi Sport’s Neuburg factory, the first time an F1 powertrain has been made in Germany in more than ten years.
According to Audi, its Neuburg base already has test stands for evaluating F1 engines as well as electric motors and batteries. By the end of the year, they are working to have the necessary individuals, structures, and technical infrastructure in place. After that, they will have three years to perfect the PU before moving on to F1.