Ingolstadt (dpa) – Audi and Porsche can continue to pursue their Formula 1 plans. In a meeting, the board of directors and supervisory board of Volkswagen AG, Porsche AG and Audi AG confirmed “plans of the two group brands for a possible entry into Formula 1”.
Audi “basically has the opportunity to enter the premier class of motorsport in 2026” in order to demonstrate “Vorsprung durch Technik” there,” the car manufacturer told the German Press Agency. However, a decision to enter has not yet been made, one is itself “in the final phase of evaluation”.
The Formula 1 regulations from 2026 are not yet available. “It provides far-reaching changes for a more sustainable sport and is a prerequisite for a possible entry by Audi,” it said. Here Audi is in exchange with the world automobile association Fia.
The VW Group subsidiaries Audi and Porsche have been associated with a Formula 1 entry for months. Delegations have already been involved in preliminary talks about the future regulations.
From 2026 hybrid engines with 100 percent sustainable fuel
Formula 1 wants to accommodate interested manufacturers with a compromise. From 2026, the hybrid engines are to be operated with 100 percent sustainable fuel. The combustion engine in the unit should only contribute 50 percent of the power, the rest is electric. That fits with the future direction of the auto industry.
In addition, agreement has been reached on ending the expensive and complex MGU-H engine module, which recovers energy from the engine’s exhaust heat. The World Automobile Association published a blueprint for this in December 2021.
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Audi boss Markus Duesmann is tempted to enter the premier class. The qualified engineer has a Formula 1 past himself. He used to be head of development at Mercedes, later he was responsible for the drives department at BMW.
“If Formula 1 becomes more sustainable, it could become interesting for Audi,” Duesmann has repeatedly admitted. In the case of Formula 1 entry, Audi would build the engines in Ingolstadt.
Audi is associated with a takeover of the British sports car brand McLaren, which is also represented in Formula 1 with Mercedes as its engine partner. Porsche is traded as a possible partner of Red Bull around the current world champion Max Verstappen.