Different German media reports assure that a version that has been circulating for weeks is already a reality: Audi agreed to purchase McLaren Group, one of the classic Formula 1 teams.
The posts were not denied by Audi. In dialogue with Reuters, the Teutonic company said they are “looking at various cooperation ideas” with McLaren.
“As part of our strategic considerations, we are constantly looking for various ideas for cooperation,” an Audi spokesman told the news agency in response to the report. Coach, the first medium to publicize the novelty.
According to Autocar, which cites a source inside the company, Audi made a purchase offer to McLaren CEO Paul Walsh.
This initial offer was rejected by the Mumtalakat Holding Company in Bahrain, a group that took over the majority stake in McLaren in 2020. Autocar says the initial deal was rejected and returned to Audi with a note asking to “double the offer.”
“We are not sure if it doubled, but it seems that the sale is safe,” says Autocar.
The purchase, if confirmed, will give Audi parent company, the Volkswagen Group, access to Formula One racing.
Audi now owns two supercar brands and the sharing possibilities between the two are endless. McLaren can help Lamborghini get away from the famous but outdated V12 engine, while Lamborghini can help McLaren build its first Urus-based SUV.
While the latter doesn’t get good press, any automaker needs an SUV to survive. Even Ferrari gave in under pressure and decided to build the Purosangue.
The Audi-McLaren deal doesn’t close the door on Porsche’s entry into F1. Audi’s sister brand is also considering a return to Formula 1, as the group’s new head of the motorsports segment, Thomas Laudenbach, said a few weeks ago.
The most likely path for Porsche in F1 is believed to be as a partner in a team like Red Bull, which is building its own engine department in Milton Keynes in the UK.