Rumors
'Audi and Porsche ready to enter F1 with McLaren and Red Bull'
- GPblog.com
Possibly good news for Audi and Porsche: The entry of the Volkswagen Group into Formula 1 is said to be as good as finalised, reports the English website Car Magazine. The two car brands would only be waiting for the approval of Volkswagen's supervisory board.
Audi and Porsche will then make their appearance in 2026. Audi would partner with McLaren, while Porsche would focus on Red Bull Racing. There would be a scenario where Audi/McLaren and Porsche/Red Bull would team up to compete against Ferrari and Mercedes in the upcoming era.
Audi would also take over the motorsport division at Woking and the automotive part of the team at McLaren. According to Car Magazine, lawyers from both parties are already in talks. McLaren's biggest stakeholder would even be willing to sell its entire stake in the F1 team and the carmaker.
'Audi and Porsche as engine suppliers'
According to the site's sources, both Audi and Porsche would become engine suppliers. Audi will then supply engines to McLaren. Porsche is reportedly working on a deal with Red Bull. When the term with Honda expires, Porsche could take over the team's engine division. This is reportedly a joint effort between Audi and McLaren.
Should the two teams not want to partner with Audi and Porsche, the Volkswagen Group also has a plan B. Audi would then partner with Williams and Porsche could target AlphaTauri or even Haas.