Rumours of Volkswagen Group's brands Porsche & Audi entering Formula 1 have been around for a while now, with the brands approaching multiple teams to acquire stakes in their operations, or even entire buyouts. While Audi's talks with McLaren fell apart and the brand is now reportedly negotiating a purchase of a 75 per cent stake in Sauber F1 Team, otherwise known as Alfa Romeo F1 team, Porsche is set to acquire a 50 per cent stake in Red Bull Technology Ltd.
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Porsche will reportedly acquire 50% of Red Bull Technology Ltd.
One of the steps in the formal process to enter a partnership is getting a green light from anti-cartel authorities around the world to ensure that there is nothing untoward in the two companies joining up. One of the countries where this was needed to be done was in Morocco, where the government legislation stipulates that applications are subject to mandatory publication once approved, and Morocco's Conseil de la Concurrence has published the documents submitted by Porsche & Red Bull.
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Concept livery for Porsche Red Bull F1 team designed by Magic Racing Design.
Thess documents reveal that Porsche will be entering a partnership for 10-years with Red Bull, and this will include a purchase of 50 per cent stake in Red Bull's Grand Prix operation. The documents also suggest that the partnership will formally be announced on August 4, 2022, though it remains to be seen if that does indeed happen. While the documents only revealed a 50 per cent buyout of Red Bull Technology Ltd., it is understood that the partnership will extend to separate F1 team businesses as well, and in all likelihood, AlphaTauri will also compete under Porsche power. The Faenza based team however, will remain entirely in the hands of Red Bull.
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AlphaTauri will also run on Porsche power from 2026.
The official announcement of the partnership hasn't yet happened because of the delay in finalising the 2026 engine regulations by FIA, upon which the group's entry into Formula 1 hinges. Volkswagen Group also tried to enter Formula 1 on numbers occasions prior to this, with the most recent being around 2017-18, but it cancelled its plans as FIA took too long to confirm the 2021 engine regulations. The VW Group brands are now set to enter the sport in 2026 with the upcoming regulation changes.
Concept livery image Credit: Magic Racing Design
