Porsche left Formula One at the end of the season due to exorbitant expenditures after recently purchasing the Reutter facility. F1 was too far removed from road cars for Volkswagen and German suppliers to be interested in making a commitment.
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The largest coup in Formula 1 in years
For Formula 1, luring a company like Porsche, the company behind the storied 911, into the sport, is a huge coup. the largest for the sport in many years, and at least the largest since Honda returned to the series in 2015. The last time Porsche participated in Formula 1 was in 1991 as an engine supplier, but it was a disaster since the Footwork Arrows cars were just uncompetitive and the engine was overweight. However, the idea of a partnership between Red Bull, Verstappen, and even Sergio Perez and Porsche is very intriguing. The season of 2026 cannot arrive fast enough.
Volkswagen CEO affirms Porsche and Audi will compete in Formula One.
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.
The Volkswagen Group has made it quite clear that Porsche and Audi will join Formula 1 starting with the 2026 season.
As the sport strives for a new engine formula, premium Volkswagen brands Porsche and Audi have recently been strongly associated with F1 entries.
Further encouraging rumblings came from the Volkswagen Group’s camp following a recent Supervisory Board meeting, and Herbert Diess, the company’s CEO, revealed on Monday that Porsche and Audi have chosen to move through with their plans.
Diess noted that Porsche’s preparations were farther advanced than Audi’s during a presentation that was aired on the Volkswagen Group’s YouTube page, but he avoided providing any further specifics.
Just Win
Professor h.c. F. German automaker Porsche AG, commonly abbreviated as Porsche AG, is known for its high-performance vehicles and engines. It is believed to be the biggest and most prosperous racing vehicle company in the world, and it is based in Stuttgart.
From 1957 to 1964, Porsche vehicles powered by either Flat-4 or Flat-8 air-cooled engines participated in Formula One. Dan Gurney, driving for them, claimed their lone championship triumph at the 1962 French Grand Prix.
For its Formula 1 entry, Audi claims it chose to construct a distinct engine from Porsche in order to facilitate easier cooperation with various chassis.
At the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday, the German automaker finally announced its participation in Formula One for the 2026 season, announcing it would be building and producing its own power unit from its Neuburg headquarters. Although there has not yet been a formal announcement regarding the partnership, it will involve Sauber.
Audi’s intention to build its own engine has generated some interest because sister company Porsche will be teaming up with the Milton Keynes-based team to use its own engine as well. Porsche is anticipated to announce its entry with Red Bull in the coming weeks.
As a result, parent firm VW will have to invest more money in two distinct engine development programs than if they just shared ideas and rebadged them.
Markus Deusmann, chairman of the board at Audi, revealed that there had been extensive internal debate inside the firm about whether or not to pool engine resources with Porsche before the decision to have distinct projects was made.
In the end, he claimed that the demand for Audi to act independently came from the need to optimize power units for certain teams.
He remarked, “You can imagine there was a big discussion. “But we choose to keep it totally independent and conduct two operations because both of our brands have large followings and distinctive personalities.
“We had a number of explanations for that. There will be various teams, thus the powerplant needs to be specifically tailored to the chassis. Because we would have entirely distinct chassis and powertrains, that is why we opted to split it.
“To fulfill the deadline, the integration work of the electrified side on the powertrain, coupled with the chassis, it costs time to produce it in two cars,” said Oliver Hoffmann, head of Audi technical development. Therefore, it’s entirely different operations, and we will handle the integration work ourselves.
If Audi wants to be competitive starting in 2026, it will need to catch up to other manufacturers like Mercedes and Ferrari in terms of its understanding of the F1’s turbo hybrid rules.
The car business believes it will be able to catch up eventually because of the way new laws have been written to give more freedom to new competitors.
Hoffmann continued, “First of all, completing this task [by] 2026 is going to be a significant challenge.
“However, I believe that we are able to work out some compromises with the rules so that we may enter on [equal terms] with all of the other contestants. We enjoy the challenge, too.
“In less than a year, we were able to run the Dakar and construct the Dakar car, which also has a very sophisticated drivetrain. And by 2026, I believe we will be able to create this powertrain as well.
Well, it’s obvious that we are in the situation that we are in, Deusmann remarked. And the others already have functional powertrains. However, the size of the regulation modifications gave us the opportunity to intervene and compete.
Why did Porsche leave Formula One?
Porsche left Formula One at the end of the season due to exorbitant expenditures after recently purchasing the Reutter facility. F1 was too far removed from road cars for Volkswagen and German suppliers to be interested in making a commitment. Up until 1964, Privateers kept using the old Porsche 718 in Formula 1.
Porsche, do they have F1?
It should now only be a matter of time before Porsche and Audi reveal their eagerly anticipated new Formula 1 programs since the 2026 engine specifications they were waiting for are now official.
For the VW Group, the triple-skimmed pebble of financial regulation stability, the sustainability messaging through the intensification of electrical power coupled with the 100% sustainable fuel promise, and, of course, simply riding the crest of the F1 wave generated by the pandemic-enhanced power of Drive to Survive, have proven to hold an irresistible magnetism.
Porsche’s relationship with Red Bull, which was established years ago but is still in the process of being fully disclosed, is now known to the public thanks to the Moroccan documents.
It makes perfect sense for Porsche to pursue F1 success, something the company has never done as a factory, save from serving as a tech provider to McLaren from 1983 to 1987 through the TAG-branded turbo engines.
It will be a little more complicated for Audi because they will be working with an existing team, most likely the Sauber team that is presently driving Alfa Romeo.
The most effective method of defossiliztion, according to Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, is by far e-mobility, he remarked earlier this year.
And after shelving a nearly fully funded LMDh project that would have returned it to the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship it once dominated and beginning to offload its factory drivers, it has concluded that F1 is the best platform to communicate that message.
When the pandemic was at its worst, Audi began laying the groundwork for this, and when it abandoned its factory Formula E effort, it provided significant hints.
It did so with the knowledge that Formula E would face challenging years in the future and that F1 was on the rise and will probably include some improved EV messaging in its 2026 rules.
Although Audi’s ambitions are not yet completely known, a cooperation with Sauber makes sense from the admirable perspective that it shares comparable principles with those of employment regulations and “looking after its workers”—a quality that Peter Sauber has always instilled into his business.
Why doesn’t Porsche field a Formula One team?
A future entry into the series, according to the maker, is still appealing.
For months, the F1 team and the producer of road vehicles have been discussing a possible partnership. Audi, a brand belonging to the same Volkswagen Group as Porsche, has already committed in response to the new engine restrictions that will be implemented for the 2026 season.
Herbert Diess, the former CEO of the VW Group, stated in May that both manufacturers had “chosen to enter Formula 1,” citing the growing interest in the competition. He said at the time that Porsche’s intentions were “already reasonably concrete,” whereas Audi’s were “not so much.”
But although Audi announced its expected arrival last month, Porsche and Red Bull’s negotiations came to a deadlock.
The potential of Porsche’s entry into Formula 1 has been discussed over the past few months, according to a statement from Porsche AG and Red Bull GmbH. “The two companies have now jointly decided that these discussions will not be resumed.”
The scope of Porsche’s incorporation into the Red Bull squad could not be agreed upon by the two parties.
The foundation of a relationship, according to Porsche, “was always that it would be built on an equal footing, which would encompass not only an engine partnership but also the team.” This was not possible to accomplish.
He did, however, say that the manufacturer is leaving the door open for a potential entry into Formula 1. The racing series “remains an appealing environment for Porsche, which will continue to be watched” even with the finalized regulation modifications, it said in its conclusion.
Which Formula One team is Porsche buying?
Legal documents state that Porsche will buy a 50% stake in Red Bull Technology in order to partner with the team and enter Formula 1 in 2026.
When the new power unit regulations were announced earlier this year, VW stated that the Volkswagen Group was interested in competing in Formula One. Porsche and Audi were given the go-ahead to start developing their entry. Audi’s plans seem less firm at this time, but Porsche has frequently been associated with a relationship with Red Bull, and further information about the plans has now surfaced.
Although there is currently no formal confirmation, Morocco’s mandated publishing of the proposed deal has resulted from the requirement to submit evidence to antitrust authorities:
Porsche has agreed to buy a 50% investment in Red Bull Technology, according to the disclosure form, which claims the deal will be disclosed on August 4 and will need a 10-year commitment. Porsche is anticipated to provide the power unit, but the ownership stake may give it more sway.
Audi and Porsche entering Formula One?
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, however, had yet to formally announce its intention to collaborate with Red Bull 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.
“For any automobile firm in the world, Formula One is the fiercest sporting competition. It already is, and as more newcomers arrive, things will only get more difficult.
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.
“I believe you are merely hedging your bets, as 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 think the dual-track approach makes sense.
Jost Capito, the head of the Williams team and the former head of the Volkswagen WRC program, concurred that the strength of the Formula One series was proved by Audi’s entry.
It’s a signal for all other manufacturers, and it highlights the significance and advancement made by F1 in recent years.
“A few years ago, it was unthinkable, but now it’s even two manufacturers, two brands from the VW Group, with Porsche most likely to confirm and Audi affirmed. 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. There are none in my mind about this.