(Frankfurt) The Volkswagen group declared itself in favor Thursday of the project of its subsidiaries Porsche and Audi to join Formula 1 from 2026 provided that the championship succeeds in its ecological transformation.
Posted yesterday at 11:50 p.m.
“Management and supervisory board of Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi have approved the plans for a possible entry of the brands in Formula 1,” a spokesman for the German manufacturer told AFP.
“We thus have in principle the possibility of joining the championship from 2026”, added an Audi spokesperson. “No decision has been made yet, we are in the final phase of the study. »
Several F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull), welcomed this “very exciting” news on Friday.
“I think it’s really great to have new builders in the sport, especially when you see that there are a lot of teams that have the potential to be great teams,” said seven-time Lewis Hamilton. world champion, from Melbourne where he must participate in the Australian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen said he was “eager to see what the future will bring to the teams” of F1.
The boss of Porsche, Oliver Blume, confirmed at the end of March the study of an entry in Formula 1, the press evoking “negotiations” with Red Bull.
“A final decision has not yet been made,” said a spokesperson for the brand.
Audi could for its part buy McLaren: the manufacturer is now offering some 650 million euros for the British team, against an initial offer of 450 million deemed too low by the target, the weekly reported on Sunday. Automobilwoche.
Other options would go through Sauber (present in F1 under the name of Alfa Romeo Sauber), Williams or a partnership with Aston Martin, according to the daily Handelsblatt.
Committed like the entire Volkswagen group to a vast electric shift, Audi and Porsche hope to take advantage of an entry into Formula 1 to display their “green” technologies and ambitions.
Audi will only join the championship on “condition” that the regulations valid from 2026 “provide for extensive changes for a more sustainable sport”, explained the spokeswoman on Thursday. “We are in contact with the FIA federation for this. »
Audi boss Markus Duesmann is a big motor racing fan: before joining the Volkswagen group, he was in charge of engine development for the BMW F1 team.