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Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess has confirmed that the German giant will join F1 in 2026 with its marquee brands Audi and Porsche. While Porsche is expected to enter into a partnership with Red Bull Racing, the situation for Audi is still not clear as the team plans to buy out a team on the grid and run a full works operation in F1.
Having said that, for new-age F1 fans, there are still question marks over what the involvement of Porsche and Audi means to the sport. As a fan, there is still a lack of clarity over whether this is a good thing or a bad one that an automotive giant like Volkswagen has taken a leap of faith and is joining the sport. In this piece, we will shed light on the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the Audi-Porsche entrance means to the sport of F1.
Audi and Porsche to enter F1 in 2026
The Good
One of the biggest positives of the VW group entering F1 is that it shows that the sport is now a more enticing option than it used to be. It's been more than a decade since we had automotive giants like Toyota, BMW, and even Honda as part of the grid with their respective works teams fighting it out for the top honors.
Ever since the recession of 2008, Formula 1 has not been the most attractive destination for many of these giants. The technology didn't seem viable for roadcar adaptation, and the exposure level did not help these giants with sales across the globe.
The last few years have seen the sport penetrate territories it was never a part of conventionally. The US will have as many as 3 races next season, the wealthy Middle East is a crucial part of the F1 calendar, and we now have 23 races on the grid that span almost the entire globe.
Moreover, Netflix's Drive to Survive has made Formula 1 a global sport now, making it an even more attractive proposition. Consequently, it does appear that the Volkswagen group finds the sport to be a lucrative destination. This will also raise the profile of the sport, just like it did for WEC in the mid-2010s when both Porsche and Audi fought it out at LeMans.
This also means that we could see future interest from the likes of BMW and Honda to make a return to the sport. The VW group entering the sport is a massive sign that the sport is going in the right direction.
The Bad
The bad could be what happens to the current teams on the grid. The VW Group is a smart entity. It will not be trying to start from scratch or at the back of the grid. It is going to acquire an already well-oiled machine and then take it from there.
That's why the Porsche-Red Bull deal looks highly likely and might be announced at the Red Bull Ring this season. Audi was trying to buy out McLaren but that didn't work so now it has its sights set on the likes of Aston Martin, Williams, and Alfa Romeo.
The problem with this is that while these giants are ready to throw a huge amount of money behind their operations, there is no certainty that they will be successful from the outset. To make things worse, while Red Bull will welcome Porsche's partnership and the money that comes along with it, it could lose the "Red Bull" identity if the rumors of Porsche buying out over 50% stake in the team are true.
If one of the most successful teams in the last decade does lose its identity, at some point one has to wonder whether having Porsche on the grid and losing out on Red Bull is a profitable trade-off. This is a concern especially for the F1 fans that have grown up watching Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen dominate in those Red Bull overalls.
The Ugly
Something that we touched on earlier as well is the imminent threat of these automotive brands taking their toys and leaving the sport. For Audi and Porsche, or for that matter, any other top manufacturer like Honda, BMW, or Toyota, F1 is not a passion or a necessity. It is, at best, a means to an end. The end is generating more sales by showing thought, leadership, and technological excellence.
As soon as things go south, manufacturers like these have shown a tendency to pack their bags and leave. Toyota, BMW, and Honda left because of the economic downturn coupled with their lack of wins. They're not companies that are essentially racers before anything else, unlike Ferrari or McLaren. They look at F1 as the showcase of their prowess to the world. At any point in time in the future, if the going gets tough or the respective teams are unable to produce satisfactory results, it won't be a surprise if they decide to leave the sport.
In essence, this marriage is as volatile as it can get. Whether it is a year or five, it will surely end and leave the sport with a very bad image. That could be something similar to what F1 had to endure at the end of 2009 when multiple constructors packed their bags and just left the sport.
