McLaren denies buying up Audi while VW’s F1 preparations begin

A report on the Autocar website on Monday said that Audi agreed to a takeover that would give it complete control of McLaren’s road car and racing operations.

However, in a statement released Monday, McLaren made it clear that the report was not true.

The statement said: “The McLaren Group is aware of a media report that it has been sold to Audi. This is completely inaccurate and McLaren is aiming to remove the story.

“McLaren’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other automobile manufacturers, but the ownership structure of the McLaren Group has not changed.”

While the talk of an Audi takeover was rejected, it goes without saying that Audi will still be able to enter Formula 1 with McLaren from 2026 if the German automaker enters Grand Prix racing.

Sources have indicated that after a board meeting last week, parent company Volkswagen is seriously pushing its plans for entry into Formula 1 and is now determining how best to approach it with its many brands.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

While there have already been proposals that it could implement with both Audi and Porsche, it is known that the decision was made to use just one of them.

The two options for an Audi entry with McLaren or for a Porsche connection to Red Bull are weighed up.

Porsche is not an option for McLaren as the two brands compete in the same segment of the sports car market.

Audi boss Markus Duesmann, who previously worked with Mercedes and BMW in Formula 1, absolutely wants his brand to get the green light for Formula 1.

Preliminary discussions are believed to have taken place with McLaren over the possibility of a link, but these discussions are still at a relatively early stage.

While the McLaren and Red Bull options both have their pros and cons, the final decision will depend on which of the two VWs has the best chance of making its F1 move a success.

She wants to win races as quickly as possible, which is why her focus right now is more on the two main teams than on midfielders like Williams and Sauber.

Audi is reviewing its options for the future in a brief statement: “As part of our strategic considerations, we are constantly evaluating various ideas for cooperation.”

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