According to the German publication Motorsport-Total, it has been confirmed that Porsche will take over 50% of Red Bull's Formula 1 program, meaning that it will own the Red Bull F1 team. The leak was due to a publication obligation of the responsible authorities.
According to the German publication , it has been confirmed that Porsche will take over 50% of Red Bull's Formula 1 program, meaning that it will own the Red Bull F1 team. The leak was due to a publication obligation of the responsible authorities.
The text says that Porsche will enter Formula 1 in 2026 as an "equal" partner with Red Bull, but this contradicts the first statement that "Porsche will take over 50% of Red Bull's Formula 1 program." The one who has more than 50% is the owner of the company. The publication also states that "the project is basically done and the official press release is just a formal act."
Porsche and Red Bull would have had to announce their joint project to antitrust authorities, including in some 20 countries outside the European Union. Moroccan law, for example, provides that such applications are subject to an obligation to publish after approval.
The press release was planned for Red Bull's home race
In principle, this would not have been a problem for Porsche and Red Bull, after all, the joint project should have been officially communicated at the Austrian Grand Prix three weeks ago .
But the press release had to be postponed again because the FIA World Motor Racing Council has not yet approved the regulations for the new UP from 2026 on June 29 as announced and those regulations are a basic requirement for Porsche to officially communicate its entry into Formula 1 . .
This would confirm what has been one of Formula 1's worst kept secrets for months: Porsche will not only enter Formula 1 as a UP supplier, but also as a majority partner of Red Bull. This has the advantage that many parts of the UP will be able to be developed and built under the same roof at Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes.
The sister team AlphaTauri will probably also have Porsche's UP - anything else would be illogical given the desired synergies between Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri - but will remain 100% in the hands of Red Bull GmbH.
Audi: Still in negotiations with Sauber
The second brand of the Volkswagen Group, whose entry into Formula 1 has already been approved by all necessary bodies, Audi, is not as far along in its project as Porsche. According to sources in the , the Ingolstadt-based company is still negotiating with Sauber owner Finn Rausing to acquire 75% of the team's shares.
Already on April 7, 2022, the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group gave the green light for Porsche and Audi to enter Formula 1 and approved the corresponding budgets after all the bodies of the two brands had previously approved them.
Doubts have arisen recently because Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess announced his resignation on July 22. However, on September 1, Diess will be replaced by Porsche AG CEO Oliver Blume, who was already a major supporter of the Formula 1 program at the Porsche brand level.
Yesterday Grand Prix published the statement by Ross Brawn, Formula One's motorsport director, that the category seeks a carbon-neutral fuel to replace current gasoline without having to tinker with current internal combustion engines, including in street cars.