After overtures that have spanned more than a decade, the Volkswagen Group is set to announce the entry of the Audi and Porsche brands in F1, the apex of motorsport. The Volkswagen group has in principle allowed the entry of Audi and Porsche in F1 provided the next engine formula for motorsport removes the contentious MGU-H element and dramatically reduces fuel usage. Already, F1 has announced a partnership with Aramco which will enable the next generation engines to be powered by biofuel. The incumbent engine manufacturers - Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull powertrains, and Renault have also agreed to the removal of the MGU-H and a bolstered electrical element.
Representative Audi F1 car design
Photo Credit: Sean Bull Design
According to Reuters, the two brands are officially open to entering F1 but an announcement will be made at a later date. That date could be as soon as April 2022. Porsche will likely pursue a partnership with Red Bull with its new powertrains division while Audi has been fishing for McLaren and has even offered as much as $500 million for a stake in the team.
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These overtures have not seen much of a response which could mean that Audi could look towards Alfa Romeo or some other independent team. Reportedly, Aston Martin has approached Audi for such a partnership.
Nothing will be set in stone till October 2026 when the final engine formula is ratified by the FIA. As a precursor to what the next engine formula is going to be, in 2022, all the F1 teams have entered an engine development freeze.
Aston Martin for its part has expressed a desire to develop its own engines despite a close partnership with Mercedes which also owns a stake in it. An Audi Aston Martin partnership could spell doom for this partnership. Even the technical director of the Alfa Romeo team - Jan Monchaux used to work at Audi which could make things interesting.
