Porsche and Audi Run Out of Arguments to Ignore F1
The great times don’t stop for Formula One as good news after good news streams out of the sport. Porsche and Audi have publicly confirmed their intent to be part of the F1 circus starting in 2026, following years of speculation. The announcement follows recent headlines that have included sky-high prices for the Miami Grand Prix due to the hot demand and confirmation Drive to Survive is returning for two more seasons.
It’s a significant step for both the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG), Porsche and Audi’s parent company, and F1, with both seemingly standing to benefit from the move. The rising attractiveness of F1 as a sport, fueled by Drive to Survive’s success and evidenced by the sellout Miami Grand Prix, seems to be what has tipped the scales for VAG. Equally, including these two motoring heavyweights as teams only improves F1’s perception as the place to be in motorsport.
I’ll caveat that the intention to join does not necessarily mean it’s a done deal, though. Of course, everyone is thrilled by the prospect, but the finalization will only come once F1 confirms the plans for the 2026 regulations — something VAG states must tie in with their road relevancy values before they commit. Formula E shows that the Porsche brand is all about sustainability, and F1 promising an even more efficient turbo-hybrid engine is part of the allure for the German company.
Some questions have arisen about how Porsche and Audi will be in F1. The initial hope for many, myself included, was that the two would join as either one or two new teams to bolster the cars on the grid up to 22 or even 24. Sadly, it seems that was wishful thinking, and the insider gossip suggests it’s going to be both brands partnering with existing teams. Although that’s not exactly the worst news imaginable, it’s far from the dream scenario of more cars on track and, thus, more seats for top drivers.
From my perspective, the manufacturer badge on the side of the car matters much less than having as many drivers as possible racing in the championship. I remember 26 F1 cars dueling it out on track, albeit with multiple private backmarker teams, when I became fascinated with the sport in the 90s. Although it feels normal now, the current 20-car/10-team setup is the smallest grid in my time watching.
Should the rumors prove accurate, there will be a partnership between Red Bull and Porsche, and Audi will seek a separate team to ally with, with McLaren, Williams, Alfa Romeo, or Aston Martin being the lead contenders. If that is the case, I fear we won’t notice any particular difference on the race weekends aside from different logos painted on the cars and driver overalls. Aside from a beautiful British Racing Green livery on the grid, the Aston Martin name replacing Racing Point hasn’t exactly revolutionized the sport, and VAG joining might be more of the same.
As a fan who is so deep into the sport that I watch every feeder series race over an F1 Grand Prix weekend, which will include W Series in Miami this weekend, it’ll be even more of a shame. We hear the constant complaint that some great drivers drop out or never make it to the sport. That would be alleviated by more teams joining in. A single new team is a 10% increase in opportunity, and two would be 20% — that’s a massive difference.
In a world where the Formula 2 champion can’t graduate to Formula 1 because all the seats are taken, as we’ve seen with 2021 F2 champ Oscar Piastri, having four more seats would be game-changing. Likewise, we might never have seen promising drivers like Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon dropping out of the sport for a season if additional teams were ready to snap up the hot talent their rival outfits didn’t want.
To end this negativity, though, let me end this on a brighter note because the news is encouraging, after all. If Porsche and Audi are to join in any form — be it an engine supplier, brand partner, or an out-and-out team — that signals to other manufacturers that F1 is becoming a feasible place to compete. So, if Jaguar, Toyota, Ford, and others see that more manufacturers want to be in the sport, they may be the next ones to join in. If they don’t, they’ll lose visibility to more than just Ferrari, Mercedes, and Renault as they do today.
For VAG to be so blatant about wanting to join F1, the sport must’ve become a viable business plan. Herbert Diess, the CEO of Volkswagen Audi Group, stated that “you just run out of arguments” not to join F1 thanks to its massive, growing audience. For a sport as expensive to join as Formula One, it’s a shining stamp of success that a manufacturer joining might become wealthier from extra sales rather than seeing F1 as a money pit, as it always has been. This golden era of being an F1 fan looks like it will extend to 2026 and beyond; even I can get behind that, be it with more teams or not.
Originally published on Fortloc.com
