Audi and Porsche to Enter F1
Porsche at the 2022 Mexico City ePrix (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.)
German manufacturers Audi and Porsche have decided to enter Formula 1!
Herbert Diess, CEO of VW group. has spoken at an event in Wolfsberg, where he advised board-level discussion have been discussing the financial benefits of racing in Formula 1 versus the savings of not racing.
Driess said “You just run out of arguments”, and advised that Porsche seem to have a more solid plan than Audi at this stage, but didn’t expand into more detail.
Porsche and Red Bull have been rumoured for a while to be linked, with reports indicating that Porsche would partner with Red Bull Racing’s new engine manufacturer side in developing the 2026 engines.
The next engine regulation change seems to be the catalyst for this decision, as the German group has been close to joining F1 several times over recent years, deciding against the current engine rules, which came into the sport in 2014. VW group seem happier with the new regulations, which will see the cars run on 100% sustainable fuel sources, and electric power will make up more of the overall power supplied by the engine unit.
VW Group Brands (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.)
It appears that the recent confirmation of the 2026 rules led the board to agree in principle on the entry of Audi and Porsche to enter F1.
Reports over recent months have linked Audi to the purchase of several existing constructors, with McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin, and Williams all being considered.
