Brown confirms rumors: 'There were talks between McLaren and Audi'

Talk of a deal was previously denied by Audi and McLaren, but Zak Brown has now revealed that actual talks have taken place between the two parties and that a collaboration in the future is a possibility.

That the Volkswagen Group will join Formula 1 is already all but certain. When the engine regulations for 2026 are fixed in February, Volkswagen will in all likelihood indicate that they agree to this. Volkswagen would then want to enter the sport with Audi and Porsche starting in 2026.

Audi and McLaren

Porsche has been linked to Red Bull Racing for ages, and this is also confirmed by Brown. The CEO of McLaren indicates in an interview with Reuters that he hears those noises as well. Audi was actually linked to his team, and the American can now finally shed light on that as well.

''I think they’ve spoken with a handful of people on the grid and as you would imagine we have had conversations but in the short term and medium term we’re very happy where we are.''

Of course, it makes sense for McLaren to say this, as a deal with Audi would not be in place until 2026. For the coming period, McLaren still has a partnership with Mercedes, but it goes without saying that the team from Woking is so big that it prefers not to work as a customer team. A deal with Audi would be a perfect outcome in that respect, although it remains to be seen whether a Red Bull engine, developed by Porsche, would not simply be used.