The exit of Honda from Formula 1 in 2021 saw the creation of Red Bull Powertrain (RBPT) to support the engine department. While Honda continues to support Red Bull and AlphaTauri in 2022, RBPT will see their role in developing the engines for the new regulations in 2026. Except now, Red Bull may have roped in another manufacturer to help them do so for 2026 and beyond.

After months of speculation, VW CEO Herbert Diess has confirmed that Porsche and Audi will indeed be joining F1. And it is no secret that Porsche’s entry into F1 would mean a partnership with Red Bull to support Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri with the engines being built under the Porsche logo. However, Red Bull hasn’t commented on this partnership just yet. “I can’t comment on that,” said a smiling Helmut Marko to Auto Bild. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Diess about that.”

So why is Volkswagen interested in Formula 1?

While there hasn’t been any official comment from the VW board itself; coming from a top-level executive like Diess means the move is closer to reality. The VW CEO himself has admitted that not everyone on the VW Board is onboard with the idea. The discussion on the Board was “not unanimous,” he said.

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With the Volkswagen group increasingly pursuing a strategy to electrify their cars, the case to enter Formula 1 is an oddity. Explaining this, Diess said that the booming market of Grand Prix racing in crucial areas like the USA and all-new rules set for 2026 has prompted this decision.

He further stated, “If you do motorsport, you should do Formula 1 as that’s where the impact is greatest. What’s more, you can’t enter Formula 1 unless a technology window opens up which means, in order to get in there, a rule change: so that everyone starts again from the same place.”

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Diess believes that the time to do Formula 1 is now or wait for another 10 years. With the direction that the rules are going for 2026, a company would need at least three to four years in order to develop a new engine. Herbert also clarified that VW would not be part of the entry as it believes it wouldn’t fit the brand and what they stand for.