It was an open secret, but it has taken several months to become a reality. What was not clear were the conditions in which the brand with the four rings was going to face this challenge. Now we know the details.
We have been speculating for years about the entry of a brand belonging to the Volkswagen Group in Formula 1, especially Audi. However, this has not been a real possibility until the last few months, when the new engine regulations really started to take shape.
The regulations that will come into force have been defined a long time ago at a technical level, but an important detail was still missing: determining to what extent and to what extent the manufacturers that reached the Formula 1 in 2026.
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The participating motorcyclists at this time, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renaultthey did not want to give an advantage to their future rivals, because while they must continue to compete and operate with the current engine, they must also develop the new engine.
Finally, everything was agreed and officially approved in mid-August, so the green light was given to officially announce the entry of Audi and Porsche in Formula 1.
Partnership with Sauber
The first to announce it was Audi, which will enter Formula 1 in 2026 as part of the Sauber Groupalthough this has not been officially confirmed at the presentation.
The Swiss structure, which currently competes under the Alfa Romeo namehas extensive experience in the category (debuted in 1993) and has state-of-the-art facilities built following the purchase of the team by BMW in 2006.
When the German brand left the category at the end of 2010, the team returned to its modest results, but has maintained its technological value and has always been the object of interest on the part of those who have projected their entry into Formula 1.
Audi will become a shareholder of Sauber and also will build its own engine at the brand’s facilities in Germany. It is a process that will be managed completely independently of the one that Porsche develops with Red Bull Racing.
With this move, the Volkswagen Group renounces to reduce costs and guarantees the independence of both brands in the championship. Porsche is expected to make his entry official alongside the Austrian team in the coming days.
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Photos: Sauber