The 2026 F1 season is all set to see the entry of Audi, with the German giants even investing $200,000,000 into their project. However, as per a recent report by FormulaPassion, the French Media has made a shocking revelation, claiming that Audi might pull back from their F1 project at the last moment, opening up an opportunity for Porsche.
Audi made their plans of entering the premier class of motorsports clear last year and soon announced their deal with Sauber. The German manufacturer is set to take over the operations of the Hinwil outfit from 2026.
🚨 BREAKING: Audi has acquired a minority stake in the Sauber Group ahead of its F1 entry in 2026 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/pMgv8332j4
— Autosport (@autosport) January 30, 2023
To make sure that no stone is left unturned, Audi even invested $200,000,000 to set up a brand new base in Germany for their F1 operations. However, all of that effort might be going down the drain as per the latest developments.
Audi might end up making a U-turn under their new CEO
As per a recent report by FormulaPassion, French news outlet Auto Journal has claimed that Audi might end up quitting on their F1 dreams and pull away from the sport even before entering in 2026. As per the report, Gernot Döllner, the new CEO of Audi, isn’t too enthusiastic about their foray into the premier class of motorsports.
The decision to enter F1 had been taken during the times of Markus Duesmann, Döllner’s predecessor. If Audi does quit at the very last moment, it would open up an amazing opportunity for Porsche to make their entry into F1.
RUMOR: Proyek F1 Audi akan diambil alih oleh Porsche?
CEO baru Audi, Gernot Döllner, dirumorkan tak ingin melanjutkan proyek F1 yang diprakarsai oleh CEO lamanya, Markus Duesmann.
VW Group tak ingin membuang sia-sia progress mereka, sehingga proyek F1 Audi bakal di-rebranding… pic.twitter.com/mrFl0rKBfd
— Lambe Resing (@LambeResing) October 17, 2023
Both Porsche and Audi are notably part of the Volkswagen group, and Oliver Blume happens to be the CEO of both Porsche as well as the Volkswagen group. Unlike Döllner, Blume is very much in support of joining F1, and thus, if Audi pulls out, he would love to do so with his Porsche brand.
Audi and Sauber seem to be a perfect fit
However, things won’t be as easy as they seem, as there would be contractual issues between Audi and Sauber. The tie between the two teams seemed like a perfect fit for both teams. Audi was partnering up with a brand steeped in F1 history. Sauber also has some of the best infrastructure and facilities to sustain an F1 project.
As for the Swiss brand, tying up with Audi means a huge injection of cash and personnel. This would help them immensely in their aspirations to reach the front of the F1 grid, albeit under a different name.
