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, an F1 sponsor?
According to the CEO of their parent company Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche will start competing in Formula One in 2026.
Herbert Diess stated that the entry would take place four years after the new engine regulations were implemented for the series when speaking at a gathering in Wolfsburg on May 1.
Initial rumors about Audi and Porsche attending a Formula One conference to talk about the sport’s future powertrains surfaced in June of last year. The outcome of such discussions may result in one or both of the German automakers joining the series.
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.
Why is Audi not 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, the two erudite 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).
Will BMW ever compete in F1 again?
BMW claims that the reason for its lack of involvement in the racing is the F1 organizers’ tardiness in implementing electrification technology.
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BMW doesn’t appear to be prepared to return to Formula One. Frank Van Meet, head of BMW M, stated that the carmaker has no desire to compete in Formula One. When it comes to its goals in motorsports, the automaker is instead expressing a greater interest in the Le Mans Daytona hybrid, or LMDh, according to BMWBlog.
Will Audi purchase McLaren?
The team was “absolutely not for sale,” according to Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, who acknowledged in January that “very preliminary negotiations with Volkswagen had taken place.
Four months later, when questioned once more following the confirmation of the Audi and Porsche entries, Brown reaffirmed that the McLaren name would not be removed from Formula 1.
“We spoke with Audi, but we are not up for sale. We have a strong commitment to the future, and our performance on the track is excellent.
“Shareholders are investing a sizable amount of money to provide our team with the tools they need to reclaim the lead, and commercially, things are going pretty well. The team has excellent morale. The racing team is not something we are interested in selling.
The McLaren F1 team. We will continue to be that, and we will continue to own the racing team.
“We would insist on maintaining ownership of the racing team as part of any cooperation agreement. There isn’t a conversation to be held if somebody wants one that is different from that.
Brown did not rule out the possibility that McLaren may switch to a new engine manufacturer in 2026 in place of their Mercedes engine.
But [team principal] Andreas [Seidl] is free to choose the power unit he wants at the back of the race car, he said. “We won’t explore a buyout of McLaren.
Will Ford enter Formula One?
Ford is unquestionably one of the industry’s titans, but they avoid participating in Formula One races. I love everything about Formula One, and I drive a Ford, but I’d be lying if I claimed I wasn’t at all interested in how the two work together. Let’s investigate Ford’s involvement in Formula 1 now.
Ford does not participate in Formula One and does not have any plans to do so in the future. Ford supported Cosworth, who provided F1 engines from 1966 through 2004, but they only took part under their subsidiary, Jaguar, from 2000 to 2004. They left Formula One in 2004 because it was too expensive.
Ford once competed in Formula One, but they now choose racing competitions like the NASCAR, Australia Supercars Championship, and FIA World Endurance Championship since they are less expensive, offer better exposure, and have a bigger turnover. Let’s investigate each of these elements to learn how Ford came to be.
Check out the great products from the official F1 store here if you’re looking for some F1 memorabilia.
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.
Do Audi and Aston Martin own the F1 team?
Porsche and Audi have affirmed their interest in competing in Formula 1; it is no longer up for debate. The rumor mill has been consistently spewing rumors that Audi wants to collaborate with McLaren’s F1 squad. The McLaren-Audi agreement is stalling, however, according to Reuters, with an insider telling the publication that “the pricing expectations are too far apart” and remarking that the likelihood of a deal being reached is now “near to zero.” Thankfully, Audi has other options and is said to be buying out Aston Martin, the company that makes the Vantage F1 safety vehicle, instead. The head of the British F1 team has now formally confirmed that rumor.
On a conference call with some of the brand’s investors, Aston Martin Chairman Lawrence Stroll answered to a query from Bank of America as follows: “Have Audi made contact with us? Yes. Are we content with our partnership with Mercedes? Yes. These tales abound in the Formula 1 world.”
The British carmaker says it aims to start developing its own powertrains for electric road cars but has access to Mercedes-new AMG’s platform for next year, so Stroll and his new leadership team will need to consider their chances of success very carefully. Additionally, Mercedes has a tremendous track record in Formula 1, so giving up access to its power units might be a mistake.
The company’s recent earnings report revealed that it is about $1 billion (around $1.2 billion at the time of writing) in debt. Nevertheless, Aston Martin’s financial difficulties over the previous few years have been well publicized.
Will Porsche make another F1 run?
Porsche will be returning to the sport, but Audi will be making their debut in Formula 1.
The VW business has been courted by Formula 1 for many years to join the competition. The possibility of Porsche and Audi finally entering the sport has grown over the past year, albeit it was almost realized back in 2015. While Porsche will be returning to Formula 1 after a few brief appearances, Audi will be making its Formula 1 debut. Recently, the VW Group practically declared that both Porsche and Audi will compete in Formula One in 2026.
This is a significant event for Formula 1, which is now experiencing a moderate growth. The world’s attention was focused on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s dramatic 2021 World Championship match. Additionally, the Netflix original series Drive to Survive’s success will have been beneficial. The state of Formula 1 is excellent right now. However, Porsche is the focus of this article, along with their reasons for returning to the sport. Additionally, there are several reasons why Porsche, which is anticipated to work with Red Bull Racing, would make a comeback to Formula 1 in 2026.