Audi closing in on deal with Formula 1: letter sent to F1 chiefs

It looks like Audi and possibly Porsche will be racing in Formula 1 from 2026 onwards. A final decision will be made in 2022, but there was already a letter from Audi to the top of F1.

All year long there has been talk about a possible entry of the Volkswagen Group in Formula 1. The brand joined the discussions about the engine from 2026 and hoped to steer the engines in the right direction. F1 has announced that the MGU-H will disappear in 2026, but that the current V6 hybrid engines will still be used.

These points have been announced by F1, but full details will appear in 2022. According to Sport1.de Markus Duesmann (Audi board member) and Oliver Hoffmann (head of development at Audi) have sent a letter to Stefano Domenicali stating that they see the new rules as a 'fair compromise' between the desire of the new manufacturer and the current manufacturer. In other words, if these rules become official, we can expect an entry from Audi.

It's not completely certain yet though, as the Volkswagen Group's Board of Directors and Supervisory Board still have to agree. The same goes for Porsche, which has also expressed an interest in the sport. McLaren is seen as the favorite for a partnership with Audi, where Porsche is associated with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.