Problems? Why the Porsche-Red Bull deal is uncertain

Last weekend at Spa,Audi (finally) officially announced its entry into Formula 1. Now it is waiting for the other 'secret' - the return of Porsche - to be revealed. The iconic brand would be working together with Red Bull Racing. But that does not seem to be a done deal.

To Autosport.com Christian Horner, Red Bull's team boss, says that no decision has yet been made on whether or not to cooperate with Porsche from 2026 onwards. Red Bull has a very strong negotiating position, because the team does not need Porsche to produce an engine. A deal with Porsche should also be seen primarily as a marketing agreement, as Red Bull will produce the engine itself. Only one Porsche employee will move to Milton Keynes.

Should it not come to a deal with Porsche, Red Bull will not have a problem. The engine will simply be called Red Bull Powertrain. Or perhaps there is another engine manufacturer who would like to sponsor the project. Moreover, it is not yet entirely off the table that Honda will return to the sport in 2026, the brand that actually supplies the engines at the moment. Even though it is likely that Honda will then start its own team.

There are several factors that make a deal complicated at the moment. Future share ownership and voting rights would still be under discussion. A possible Porsche IPO does not make things any easier either.