Audi is openly flirting with participation in Formula 1 as of 2026, but now sister brand Porsche is also coming into play. According to Car Magazine the deal is almost complete and we will have the Formula 1 teams McLaren-Audi and Red Bull Racing-Porsche in that year. Audi would also take over the Automotive branch of McLaren.
In recent times there has been a lot of talk about Audi’s interest in Formula 1 and a possible acquisition of McLaren and its associated Formula 1 team. Just before the end of the year, Audi would have officially announced to the FIA ​​and Formula 1 that it wants to join by 2026. The fact that Audi may want to take over McLaren is undoubtedly related to this, we reported at the time. That indeed seems to be the case. Car Magazine reports that Audi will acquire both McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing and will supply the F1 engine to the team by 2026. That almost certainly means that the team will then start fully as McLaren-Audi.
The biggest surprise, however, is that the medium has learned that Porsche is also involved in the story. In that same year, that would in fact hook up in Formula 1 as an engine supplier to Red Bull Racing, the team for which Max Verstappen drives. At least that is the main goal, if a deal with Red Bull were not to be closed, the teams of Williams, AlphaTauri and Haas would also be interested. Red Bull Racing still has a deal with Honda for the time being that it can continue to develop the current power source from Honda under its own power. McLaren has an engine deal with Mercedes-AMG that runs until 2024.
Audi and Porsche are reportedly going to work together on the 2026 power unit and hybrid components. In essence, McLaren and (possibly) Red Bull Racing will then have the same powertrain, only there will be two different brand names on the cars. In December, the engine regulations for 2026 were set by the FIA ​​after an intensive period of consultation with Formula 1 and the teams. A 1.6 V6 remains the beating heart, but from that year on it runs on ‘sustainable fuels’. The so-called ‘MGU-H’, a complex engine generator unit which gains energy from heat. The MGU-K, which gains power from braking and can transfer this to the drivetrain, will remain and will deliver more power. The total system power therefore becomes electrical to a greater extent. Now the MGU-K is still good for 160 hp, that will be 470 hp.
McLaren Automotive
Before that happens, McLaren should already be reaping the benefits of a takeover by Audi. McLaren’s sports car business will be Car Magazine after all, also taken over by Audi. After Porsche, Lamborghini and Bugatti, there will be another sports car brand behind which the Volkswagen Group is behind. Audi would reportedly have to deposit more than 1 billion euros for the acquisition of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl