'Audi alters Volkswagen plans with desire for own engine by 2026'

Volkswagen in F1

Although it is taking longer than previously expected, it seems all but certain that Volkswagen will be represented by Audi and Porsche in Formula 1 from 2026 onwards. The board meeting did not yet produce a final decision. The framework for the new engines from 2026 is fixed, but Volkswagen still wants to wait for the details to really tie the knot.

That wait-and-see attitude is causing some irritation in the paddock. According to The Race, people are wondering what Volkswagen is up to, and those plans seem to have changed internally as well. The original plan was very advantageous to Volkswagen. Porsche would partner with Red Bull on an engine, Audi would join another team with that engine, and without incurring very many costs, Volkswagen could then get the prize money from two teams.

Audi takes a different path

However, there appears to be some shifting going on internally, as The Race reports that Audi now has other plans. The team would like to be more than a support role for a team and wants to take control of a team itself. Setting up its own team costs too much money and time, but taking over a team is one of the options.

Audi has already been linked to several teams, but there are still some hurdles to overcome. Audi, in fact, wants a lot of control within the team and to take over a large share. McLaren was linked to Audi, but according to the medium would not want to give Audi that much of a say. Williams has a similar attitude with the new owners.

Sauber, which now races under the Alfa Romeo name, seems to be the most serious candidate for Audi's project. Sauber gave the keys to a German manufacturer before, when it was very successful in F1 for a period under the wings of BMW.

Old engine from Porsche

Audi plans to build its own engines and has taken over Porsche's project for that purpose. Porsche was considering entering F1 in 2018 and was already working on an engine before that. However, this project was put aside. This has now been taken up again by Audi and even the return to the Le Mans 24 Hours may be postponed in order to free up more budget for this.

For the moment, however, there is no official announcement. Volkswagen is keeping its mouth shut and Porsche has not yet made an official deal with Red Bull Racing. The German carmaker is waiting for the details of the new engines, but one wonders how long they can wait?