Audi and Porsche to join F1 in 2026
VOLKSWAGEN’s premium brands Audi and Porsche will join Formula One, possibly as early as 2026, after the German automotive group was convinced that the move would bring in more money than what it would cost, VW chief executive Herbert Diess said yesterday.
Discussions by the board of directors about the two brands’ plans had created some divisions, Diess said at an event in Wolfsburg.
But ultimately, the brands, which next to VW’s China business are the group’s most important income suppliers, made the case that they would pull in more money for the Wolfsburg-based organisation with an F1 commitment rather than without one.
There has been speculation for several months that the two brands were negotiating partnerships to enter the highest class of international motorsport, which for much of the past decade has been dominated by VW’s German rival Mercedes.
Diess said yesterday that Porsche’s preparations for entering F1 was a little more concrete than Audi’s.
The luxury automobile brand is ready to offer around €500-million (about R8.4-billion) for British sports carmaker McLaren as a means to enter, as revealed in March, while Porsche intends to establish a longterm partnership with Red Bull.
Both brands are expected to enter in 2026, subject to final approval. If rubber-stamped, it will see Porsche return to the sport for the first time since a disastrous spell in 1991. Audi, meanwhile, will make its debut in
F1.
In addition to the brands’ economic argument, F1’s high advertising impact was apparently also convincing. Diess said that as a result, Porsche will reduce other racing activities and concentrate more on that circuit.
Meanwhile, F1 returns this weekend with the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Ferrari are expected to introduce new upgrades at the GP in a bid to hold off a revitalised and charging Red Bull, who claimed an impressive 1-2 at the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola last weekend.
The Scuderia’s Charles Leclerc leads the world driver’s title over defending champion Max Verstappen by 27 points, with
Sergio Perez a close third. Their teams are also duelling it out in the Constructors’ championship - Ferrari head into the weekend on 126 points, 11 points ahead of Red Bull, while Mercedes close out the top three spots on 77 points.