On April 7, 2022, the Volkswagen Group gave its two brands, Porsche and Audi, the green light to enter Formula 1 from the 2026 season. But while Porsche’s plans to become a Red Bull partner are already very concrete, Audi’s plans are “not so much” as Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess recently confirmed.
Originally, Audi seemed interested in joining McLaren. But the negotiations have now cooled down considerably. According to information from “Motorsport-Total.com”, the ideas diverge too far – and not necessarily only in terms of the financial framework. One is simply not compatible, they say.
Which is why Audi is still on “bridal show”. Operating a complete Formula 1 team with chassis and drive from Germany is considered an extremely unlikely option in insider circles. Should McLaren stick with the no to Audi, there would only be three variants left in the race.
Williams, Sauber or Aston Martin?
First: an entry at Williams. Many media find such a person charming because of Williams team boss Jost Capito, who once led the Volkswagen Group to series world championship titles in the World Rally Championship. But Williams is currently at the end of the field and voices in Wolfsburg say that internally this is not seen as attractive.
Then there would be clean. The Swiss team has worked with BMW in the past and brings top infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art wind tunnel, which Audi has used in the past and is very familiar with.
And of course Aston Martin. “Motorsport-Total.com” was the first to report talks between the Lawrence Stroll team and Audi on April 7, and this report was not denied by Aston Martin when asked. You explore the possibilities, you just let them direct you.
Krack: Aston Martin is interested in Audi entry
In Imola we asked Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack – and he also lets the rumors run: “This opportunity is super attractive for any team that doesn’t have a big manufacturer at its side,” he says. “We’d be lying if we said we weren’t interested. I’d be very interested in talking about it.”
The prerequisites would also be perfect from an Audi point of view. Aston Martin is building a new Formula 1 campus at Silverstone. If Audi got involved now, you would probably have the opportunity to fine-tune the construction of the infrastructure according to your own ideas. No other existing team can offer that in the constellation.
Stroll: Leaving would mean loss of face
However: Stroll Sr. leaned far out of the window with his announcements. He has repeatedly emphasized that he wants and will lead Aston Martin to success in Formula 1. Giving up now and selling in the middle would be financially attractive, but it would mean a loss of face for him.
On the other hand, there is currently no short-term success in Formula 1 for Aston Martin, and with the millions from a possible sale, Stroll could sen. Invest in the sports car manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda, where he is also a shareholder and chairman of the board. The sports car manufacturer and the Formula 1 team are two separate companies.
In any case, there is a lot of interest in a partnership with Audi. Williams boss Capito confirms that they would be open to talks, and even Haas boss Günther Steiner says: “Who wouldn’t want to talk to them?” At the same time, Steiner admits: “But we didn’t have any discussions about it.”
Clean: Happy with partner Alfa Romeo
Which is why, according to reports, everything boils down to the question of Aston Martin or Sauber. But Sauber team boss Frederic Vasseur is very satisfied with his current constellation: “We have a strong partnership with Alfa Romeo, and the cooperation is becoming ever closer. This is developing very positively,” he says in an exclusive interview.
And further: “Of course we go through the world with open eyes. I’m always talking to other drivers and other team bosses. It’s not like I’ll hire Lewis Hamilton for next year, but it’s part of my job, about such Things to be informed, but for the moment I can say: We have good momentum with Alfa Romeo.”