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 AlphaTaurito continue utilizing 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.
In This Article...
Volkswagen entering Formula One?
Volkswagen has at last made a formal announcement that they will start competing in Formula 1 in 2026. Starting that year, the German automaker will bring not one but two automobile brandsAudi and Porscheto the sport.
Herbert Diess, the CEO of Volkswagen, reportedly announced that the automaker would join F1 in 2026 earlier on Monday. Diess reaffirmed it in a live webcast on the Volkswagen Group’s YouTube account, so it is now certain that Porsche and Audi will be on the grid in collaboration with an established F1 team.
Why does the Volkswagen F1 not exist?
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.
Porsche entering Formula One?
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.
What teams will compete in F1 in 2026?
From the 2026 season, German automaker Audi will participate in the Formula 1 World Championship as a power unit supplier.
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.
Who wants to enter Formula One?
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.
Which manufacturer will make its F1 debut?
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.
Why did Lamborghini quit Formula One?
Although the Italian automaker has produced some of the most iconic automobiles in history, Lamborghini hasn’t been the dominant force in Formula 1. Even more people have discovered the sport thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, but some auto fans have noted Lamborghini’s absence from the grid.
Despite not taking part in the event in 2021 or 2022, the Italian automaker has previous experience. According to F1 Technical, Lamborghini raced a vehicle dubbed the Lambo 291 in the 1990s. Despite possessing a strong V12 engine, its brief career didn’t turn out as expected.
There isn’t an official Formula One team for Lamborghini. However, the Italian automaker did make a foray into the sport in the early 1990s. This was the time the automaker ordered engineers Mario Tolentino and Mauro Forghieri to create a new vehicle based on the automaker’s L3512 naturally aspirated V12. Like all F1 vehicles at the time, the Lambo 291 had a carbon-fiber chassis. The automobile was about 1124 pounds in weight. The only transmission used to provide V12 power to the rear wheels was a six-speed manual.
It’s interesting to note that Lamborghini didn’t want its name on the squad since the company didn’t want to damage its reputation if the team failed. The team’s name is Modena because of this. However, Lamborghini decided to call its vehicle the Lambo 291.
Despite enormous expectations, the Lamborghini F1 car wasn’t a huge success. The 1991 Formula 1 season was the sole time the Lambo 291 was active. The pre-qualifying sessions served as its initial test. To even be eligible for one of the 16 races that year, the car had to perform well in these qualifying sessions.
Sadly, the automobile only competed in races six times. The Lambo 291 finished sixth at the U.S. Grand Prix on its best day. Lamborghini didn’t want to invest in a struggling squad, despite the fact that the company had one respectable finish at the beginning of the season. Despite having great hopes in 1992, Modena never returned to Formula 1.
Even if it happens, Lamborghini rejoining Formula One is doubtful. Just to enter costs $200 million. The current teams each receive an equal share of the money. Budgeting would also be required for the creation of a whole new vehicle and powertrain. Because Lamborghini lacks the same racing heritage as Ferrari, it would be prohibitively pricey.
Why tinker with success when Lamborghini’s Urus SUV is breaking sales records? If anything, Porsche or Audi have a stronger chance of entering Formula 1 because Lamborghini is controlled by the Volkswagen group.
Will BMW return to Formula One?
BMW claims that the reason for its lack of involvement in the racing is the F1 organizers’ tardiness in implementing electrification technology.
By:
revised on:
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.
Why doesn’t Audi compete in Formula One?
Audi felt secure enough to start the engine with the publication of new 2026 power unit technical specifications last month. They were persuaded to sign on the dotted line in part by the development of 100% renewable fuels and the increase in electrical power.
The power unit budget cap that will be implemented in 2023, which will help keep costs in check, and F1’s goal to be carbon neutral by that year were other tempting changes.
Are they entering as a works teams or engine supplier?
Audi has now told the FIA and Formula 1 that they will be entering as a power unit provider, but they plan to announce their team affiliation before the end of the year.
According to Audi, the split announcement was made since setting up a power unit project takes more time than anticipated and they are still deciding which F1 team to cooperate with.
Will Audi launch an F1 team of its own?
The German company will supply engines but won’t have its own Formula 1 squad. Audi will join Formula 1 as an engine supplier in 2026, as it has formally stated.
Does Audi own McLaren F1?
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 are absolutely committed to our future and are performing extremely well on the track, therefore we told Audi that we are not for sale.
“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.
“We will continue to be known as McLaren F1, 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 Audi attend Le Mans again?
Audi declared two years ago that it would participate in the LMDh regulations and return to Le Mans in 2023. Their program has apparently been put on hold for several months, only a little over a year before the first races in which their new car would have been allowed to compete.
The delay is now being blamed to problems with the supply chain, while Porsche, a fellow Volkswagen brand, has been able to launch a similar program at the same time with the same chassis-building partner. If the initiative is allowed to continue, the lengthy break will leave Audi far behind its corporate friends in track testing before the 2023 season, which may jeopardize a Daytona debut. Additionally, it makes it much more difficult to sign up clients in North America, where the program’s intended operation takes up half of the continent.
From 1999 through 2016, Audi competed at Le Mans, winning 13 races. Between Ferrari’s nine and Porsche’s 19 all-time records, that number is sufficient to place them second. All three were expected to participate in the 24 hour classic again in 2023 prior to this break.
Porsche, Acura, BMW, Cadillac, and Alpine have all committed to the LMDh rulebook in light of Audi’s impending exit from sports car racing, and all but Alpine are still scheduled to make their debuts in 2023. Le Mans will feature just Porsche, Cadillac, and Alpine cars, while Toyota, Peugeot, and Ferrari will also enter vehicles that adhere to the same LMH ruleset. Another Volkswagen-owned company, Lamborghini, is said to be weeks away from announcing or abandoning a potential LMDh program of their own.
The LMH and LMDh cars will race in the same classes in both Europe (as Hypercar) and the United States (as GTP) starting in 2023, despite the distinct regulation sets. Notably, only Cadillac and Porsche have started to tease their vehicles for 2023.