The Volkswagen Group wants to enter Formula 1 with Audi and Porsche from 2026. However, a lot still has to happen before the German brand can actually get involved.
New plans from Formula 1
That Volkswagen is knocking on the door of Formula 1 with a vengeance is an open secret. With Audi and Porsche, the group has two real sports brands, which of course would not be out of place in Formula 1 either. It would also be nice for the sport itself to include two such car brands in the field of participants.
F1 therefore went as far as including the Volkswagen Group in the new plans for 2026. At the moment there is no manufacturer who wants to get into F1 because you have to invest a lot to become competitive. Honda’s project proved that. So F1 is looking for other ways to become more independent of the existing manufacturers.
F1 is likely addressing two main issues to accommodate potential new manufacturers. The engine needs to be cheaper and easier to build. The MGU-H in particular weighed heavily on the budget. There will also be a budget limit for manufacturers, so they cannot spend an unlimited amount. This system has already been introduced for the teams.
Formula 1 already presented the concept for the new 2026 engine in 2021, where this budget ceiling was included and the MGU-H just disappeared. That was a good compromise for the other manufacturers. Volkswagen actually wanted a completely new engine, but F1 also recognized that this would be unfair to the current manufacturers who have invested billions in the current engine.
This concept was well received by Audi, who have reportedly sent an approval letter to F1. The World Motor Sport Council will announce all the details for the new engine in February so manufacturers can get started with this new generation of engines. Then Audi and Porsche can finally decide whether they want to join.
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How they will participate is also an important detail in this matter. Porsche and Audi will not set up their own team. This would cost too much money and time to become competitive. Volkswagen is aiming for a similar model as before in the WEC, where one engine was developed for two teams, so low costs (for the engine) but double the income.
Audi would be the brand that would actually appear as the title sponsor on a car. That means Audi would have to sponsor or take over an existing team. McLaren is most commonly associated with Audi, but both parties have turned down any deal in 2021. However, it would make the most sense for Audi as McLaren is a big team that is already quite competitive and not in a perfect financial position.
Once more is known about the engine, Audi can move on and also start reaching out to teams. After the announcement of the new engines, we will probably have more news about them soon. Alfa Romeo, Haas and Williams are also teams that could be acquired, but Audi doesn’t seem like the brand looking to invest billions to turn such a small team into a big brand.
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Porsche, on the other hand, was supposed to supply the engine. Again, they are considering partnering with another party and the most frequently mentioned party is Red Bull. Red Bull Racing lost Honda as their engine supplier at the end of 2021 and are working on their own engine factory in Milton Keynes for the next few years.
But Red Bull has kept the door open to other engine suppliers from the start. Christian Horner spoke of a sponsor who could be named on the engine and finance the project, but of course it could also be an engine manufacturer who becomes a Red Bull partner. Given Porsche’s ambitions, these two teams seem made for each other.
However, the competition is less than pleased, as Porsche and Red Bull, as two separate engine suppliers, could develop an engine by 2026 to come up with a design together in 2026. The competition finds this unfair and argues that Porsche and Red Bull should do this together and then also stick to a budget ceiling. It is therefore wiser for Porsche and Red Bull to postpone a deal for as long as possible.
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