Audi board decides on F1 entry by Q2 2022

Audi will decide on entering Formula 1 towards the end of the first or the beginning of the second quarter of this year.

An unnamed source speaking to Reuters said the board of directors would discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting in late February. However, they stipulated that a decision would not be made until later.

The German newspaper FAZ also reported that the Volkswagen Supervisory Board will decide whether Audi and Porsche will enter the sport by the end of February.

Reports about the Volkswagen Group’s entry into Formula 1 go back years, although Audi’s involvement has been the subject of rumors since at least 2014. According to recent reports, Audi will enter the sport with the purchase of the McLaren racing team, while Porsche will become a supplier to Red Bull.

Read more: Audi buys into F1 through the McLaren Group, Porsche will drive Red Bull Racing

The decision to get two of its brands into the sport may sound unusual, but VW has a plan. By working together, they could tackle the establishment of Mercedes and Ferrari in F1 more effectively.

Even if the teams don’t work together (or the plan to hedge your bets turns into an expensive farce), it wouldn’t be the first time Porsche and Audi have competed in the same sport.

The connection with McLaren was interesting as a report surfaced last year suggesting that Audi had bought the brand, something that was quickly denied by both automakers. However, sources told Reuters that a discussion was on the table but it has not been confirmed.

Anyway, it’s clear that Volkswagen has an interest in getting into F1 and that the sport is equally interested in getting the automaker involved. In September, Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes F1 team, said that his team was ready to compromise in order to bring the Volkswagen Group into series production.