How will Audi and Porsche enter F1?

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess confirmed that Porsche and Audi will join Formula 1, but how?

The long-awaited news that the German brands will join F1 was confirmed by Diess on Volkswagen’s YouTube page.

In 2026, the sport will once again change the rule book to allow for several new developments, like its push for sustainability as well as allowing the cars to race more easily.

This attracted the attention of the VW group, who became a hot topic in terms of joining the sport when the new regulations arrive in four years.

Diess said:

“Formula 1 is developing extremely positively worldwide.

“The marketing that has happened there, plus Netflix, has led to Formula 1’s following growing significantly, including in the U.S as well. Asia is growing significantly, including among young customer groups.

”If you do motorsport, you should do Formula 1 as that’s where the impact is greatest.”

But the way in which Porsche and Audi will join F1 is still shrouded in secrecy.

So, how could two of Germany’s automotive giants join the Formula 1 paddock?

Porsche

Porsche has long-since left the sport after its failed attempt in 1991 with the Footwork team.

However, between itself and Audi, the brand is more likely to sign up on an engine-supplier deal rather than a full-blown factory operation.

The perfect fit for Porsche is the Red Bull Powertrains project, started by the Milton Keynes-based squad after Honda left the team at the end of 2021.

Although Red Bull has put a lot of money into the idea, it has said it is open to the idea of working with a manufacturer to repeat the title success it found with Honda.

Audi

Audi is a harder pin to place on the board, with several options allowing it to join F1, both by itself and with another team.

Firstly, the chance of a factory operation seems tempting to most fans, but a significant investment would be needed to enter the sport, leaving the option less appealing to the brand.

Not only would they have to pay the $200 million entry fee as well as the costs to set up a factory, build the cars and pay its staff.

Therefore, the easier, and perhaps more likely option, would be to partner with another team.

Williams CEO Jost Capito has a long-lasting relationship with the VW group after their success in rallying – meaning an alliance between Williams and Audi could be a strong option.

However, Williams’ recent alignment with Mercedes on a long-term deal stands in its way.

The other option is the Sauber team, who recently signed a year-by-year contract with Alfa Romeo Racing.

With former-Ferrari deals as well as changing their name to both BMW and Alfa Romeo, the team are more than willing to run their cars under different branding if it means a chance of winning.

If this were to happen, Audi could effectively join F1 without the earlier mentioned steps.

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