Although not yet officially communicated, it seems obvious that Porsche will enter Formula 1 as a partner of Red Bull from 2026. However, the plans of the sister brand Audi , which is also under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group , seemed to go slower, although something has changed in recent days.
Behind closed doors, Gerhard Berger is rumored to have advised Audi on its entry into F1. The Austrian, the “full-time” team boss in the DTM , is said to have played a crucial role in negotiations with his future partner Sauber, which currently competes in the top-flight under the Alfa Romeo name due to a partnership deal. sponsorship.
However, Berger denied this when asked by Motorsport.com: “I don’t have a contract to advise Audi in F1.” And he stressed: “I have no relationship with Sauber, I have very little contact with them. So I have not participated in any conversation between Sauber and Audi.”
Audi , which has Markus Duesmann as managing director, had initially spoken with McLaren to see if there were any options to acquire shares in the team. With the mediation, by the way, of Berger : “I did open the contact with McLaren “, confirmed the Austrian.
The royal family of Bahrain, which has a 60% stake in the McLaren Group through the sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, was the one who spoke directly with those in Woking, since “McLaren was a clear candidate to be Audi’s partner in Formula 1” .
But talks between the two sides ultimately came to nothing. It is also said that they later negotiated with Williams and Aston Martin, but they did not reach any agreement either.
Audi has also been rumored to have tested the Red Bull option. However, the general manager of the Austrians, Dietrich Mateschitz , and his sports advisor, Helmut Marko , were from the beginning more in favor of the Porsche option, a union that already seems to be closed.
However, it has been the heads of Audi who have gone on the fast track. The official announcement of his entry into Formula 1 alongside Sauber is said to be imminent and could even happen next weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Instead, the Porsche and Red Bull announcement is dragging on. For weeks it was said that both were waiting for the confirmation of the new engine regulations for 2026, but it has already been ratified and no new news has arrived.
Things seem to move faster at Audi . Sauber owner Finn Rausing rejected an offer from Michael Andretti several months ago to sell the structure for €350m.
Apparently, Rausing insisted that the continuity of the Sauber Group in the Hinwil facilities was key, as well as the preservation of current jobs, and also demanded another 250 million euros as a contribution to the team to know that the team was going to stay in good hands. In the end, this was too much for Andretti .
With Audi , Sauber gets a strong partner that is willing to pay more than Andretti for fewer shares (Rausing will remain the minority owner), in what would be a Sauber-BMW-style partnership between 2006 and 2009.
It is interesting to note that the current CEO of Audi, Markus Duesmann , one of the most supportive of the brand’s entry into Formula 1, was head of development at the BMW-Sauber team between 2007 and 2009 and still knows the facilities of Hinwil firsthand.
The agreement that both brands would have reached includes continuing to build the chassis of their cars in Hinwil , where one of the most modern wind tunnels in Formula 1 is still located. The power unit will be created in the Audi facilities in Neuburg and , therefore, will be developed and produced on German soil. Unlike Porsche , which will develop much of its powertrain in the UK.
