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.
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Porsche and Audi will join F1 in 2026, according to Volkswagen CEO
How the two brands will work with already active Formula 1 teams is still unclear.
When new rules are adopted in 2026, according to the CEO of Volkswagen, the company’s Porsche and Audi brands will start racing in Formula 1.
Formula 1 is trying to lure new manufacturers, most notably VW, to join its existing pool as it introduces altered engine regulations starting in 2026. The 10 teams on the grid are currently supported by powertrains from Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Red Bull.
The 2026 regulations’ basic structure has been established for some time. The little particulars are still being arranged. Officials from VW have already stated that the firm was anticipating that time.
For the first time, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess stated in a question-and-answer session posted on YouTube on Monday that the company’s two premium brands will compete in Formula 1 starting in 2026. Diess cited the expansion of Formula 1 in important areas like the United States and China, the increased interest of younger viewers, and the possibility presented by the engine regulations of 2026.
How the two companies will collaborate with current Formula 1 teams is still unclear.
Red Bull Powertrains, which was established for 2022 in order for Red Bull’s two teams—Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri—to continue using Honda’s powertrains after the Japanese manufacturer’s official exit, has been strongly linked to a partnership with Porsche.
Porsche’s most prosperous period in Formula 1 occurred in the middle of the 1980s when it partnered with McLaren as an engine supplier and entered their cars under the TAG logo. It last appeared in 1991, during a disastrous alliance with the Footwork-branded Arrows team that lasted barely a few races.
Despite the manufacturer being associated with various teams recently, Audi’s plans are still unclear.
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.
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.
Porsche stated that competing in Formula One remained a desirable option and that it would keep an eye on the possibilities.
On September 4, 2022, Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates his victory in the Dutch Grand Prix.
Porsche and Red Bull’s discussions on Porsche joining Formula One with Red Bull as a partner have come to an end, although the automaker is still interested in participating in the racing circuit.
Porsche stated in a statement on Friday that “the two companies have now jointly determined that these conversations will no longer be continued.”
According to Porsche, the two businesses were unable to come to terms on a relationship that encompassed both an engine alliance and an F1 team.
Porsche noted that continuing to monitor the potential as F1’s rule revisions are finalized and that competing in F1 remained an appealing option.
Porsche and Audi would enter Formula One, which has so far been dominated for years by German competitor Mercedes-Benz, according to former CEO of the Volkswagen Group Herbert Diess in May.
F1 intends to transition to synthetic fuel-powered vehicles starting in 2026 as part of a plan to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of the decade and better align the team with VW Group’s own environmental objectives.
According to a July Bloomberg report, discussions between Porsche and Red Bull were stalled over who would have the final say in naming drivers for a combined race team as well as how much technology Porsche would provide to Red Bull Racing in comparison to its Red Bull-owned sister racing team, AlphaTauri.
Last Friday, Horner ruled out a takeover of Porsche and stated that any agreement would have to be on the terms of the Formula One team.
Red Bull, who now leads the championship, has established their own powertrain firm, and more than 300 workers are working on an engine for 2026.
The foundation of the conversations, according to Porsche, “was always a cooperation on eye level, which would involve the team alongside a motoring partnership, which could not be realized.”
In August, Audi said that it would produce an engine in Germany and join Formula One in 2026 with an established team, most likely Sauber.
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.
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.
“You can only get on board if there is a significant rule change; you can’t catch up on it when you join a new squad; you need five or ten years to be among the front runners.
“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.
Our two premium brands believe it is the correct thing to do and are prioritizing it. “That means you may decide now to do Formula 1 – or then probably not again for 10 years.”
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.
Red Bull asserts that it is now up to Porsche to decide whether or not to agree to its demands in order to collaborate with it in Formula 1.
The Milton Keynes-based company has been on track for several months to collaborate with Porsche beginning in 2026 as part of revised engine regulations.
But more recently, it’s believed that the talks broke down because Red Bull and Porsche have fundamentally different ideas about how to move forward with the project as it entails a stock transfer.
There are believed to be groups within Red Bull that wish to keep the team’s technological independence, which has been one of its key competitive advantages, rather than handing decision-making over to the corporate management structure of a significant automaker.
Original plans for a tie-up have been put on hold because of the lingering concerns, but Red Bull is not concerned about the situation because it is now moving forward as planned with its own engine project that was eventually going to turn into the Porsche power unit.
In an interview with Sky, Red Bull team owner Christian Horner made it plain that his team would not budge on a few key elements of the agreement and that it was now up to Porsche to accept the terms offered or reject them.
They must choose whether or not to join that party, according to Horner. As I said, “It would have to be within that culture of how we go about racing.”
Horner is adamant that Red Bull’s independence, which has allowed it to win numerous world championships, must be preserved.
Red Bull has always been a team that operates independently, he noted. “It’s been one of our assets, the foundation of everything we’ve accomplished, and the catalyst for our rapid thinking.
“One of our advantages in how we run as a race team is that we are not a corporately organized organization. Achieving that is a must for the future.”
Red Bull plans to continue developing its 2026 power unit for the time being because, in Horner’s opinion, other manufacturers might still join the project if the Porsche plans ultimately fail.
According to him, “I think any partnership or engagement with any manufacturer would have to mesh with Red Bull.”
“We are starting a brand-new chapter in the business of powertrains, and it is an exciting one. We now have some incredible people working for the organization. We’re doing fine.
Time will tell if we accept a partner into that program or, as the current plan is, carry on by ourselves.