Herbert Diess , CEO of the Volkswagen Group , was in charge of announcing the arrival of Audi and Porsche in the premier class of motorsport. Porsche has already got its engines running, while Audi is having more trouble than expected. After the failure of the negotiations with McLaren, it is time to choose a new partner.
At the moment, it seems that Aston Martin and Williams are the main candidates but, in addition to having to make this decision, Audi needs to overcome the problem of collaborating with a team that will continue to be powered by Mercedes for several years.
This entry of the Volkswagen Group into Formula 1 will coincide with the arrival of the new technical regulations regarding power units, which will come into force in 2026.
This confirmation came as no surprise, as rumors of the German group’s interest had been leaking for more than a year, on the eve of the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.
The rumors of recent months have gone further, revealing more details about the program planned for Porsche, which will join Red Bull thanks to a synergy between the German manufacturer and the engine department launched last year by the team from Milton Keynes, and is now operational following the takeover of many former Mercedes technicians.
Porsche Formula 1 single seater concept
In the Miami paddock, there was talk about how this collaboration will be structured, and everything seems to indicate that Porsche will be in charge of the design and construction of the endothermic V6, while Red Bull will be in charge of the hybrid part of the engine.
For now these are rumors that will be verified, or not, in the coming months, but the project of greatest concern is that of Audi. In this case it is not a question of supplying power units to a team already present in Formula 1, but rather the acquisition of a team, which will become the official team of the ‘four rings’ with a complete car project and engine.
This program has two problems that those responsible for the German manufacturer must overcome. The first is, clearly, to reach an agreement with an owner willing to sell his team, an operation that three or four years ago would have been relatively simple, but today, with the moment of grace that Formula 1 is experiencing, it is less evident. and more expensive.
The team identified as the easiest to acquire by Audi managers is Aston Martin . The enthusiasm of the owner, Lawrence Stroll , is proportional to the results obtained on the track, so it is easy to assume that the motivations that led the Canadian tycoon to buy Force India in 2018 may no longer be the same as four years ago. Plan “B” is Williams , a structure that, however, needs more investment on the technical front.
However, Audi ‘s problems are not limited to a team purchase, which could also happen relatively quickly. If they manage to become owners of a team, they will have to decide how the project will be managed during 2023, 2024 and 2025, a period in which the power units will remain the current ones after the freeze that occurred in early 2022.
That the German brand reaches an agreement with a Mercedes customer team is not justifiable from a marketing point of view, just as it is unrealistic to imagine that Ingolstadt can design and build a propellant with current specifications for only one or two courses. .
“Not taking into account that the competition would not be excited to see an engine manufacturer make a new power unit in a period of technical freeze,” confessed a person close to the project.
On paper there are two clear solutions. The first is considered a kind of “mission impossible”, since it would involve convincing one of the current motorists that, in the case of the acquisition of Aston Martin or Williams , for their engine to carry the Audi brand.
We are talking about manufacturers that compete daily in the global automobile market, so in the paddock nobody is willing to bet a single euro on this scenario. The other alternative is to remain silent partners, that is, acquire ownership of the team and start contributing with the investments deemed necessary, but without any official announcement.
Although the news of the change of ownership would be leaked, without the confirmation of those directly involved and keeping the current names, it would not be anything official. Obviously, it would be a facade solution, but today the facade is often more important than the foundation itself, especially when it comes to large builders.
