German luxury car manufacturers Audi and Porsche are set to join Formula 1 in 2026, with plans for the iconic two brands to team up with racing teams in the motorsport championship.
Joining F1 would allow their parent company Volkswagen to allocate development costs across its Lamborghini, Porsche, and McLaren racing teams. The two carmakers would need approval from Volkswagen’s supervisory board to enter F1.
- Porsche and Audi would join F1 as powertrain suppliers.
- Audi would work with McLaren to power its racing team.
- Porsche is considering working in conjunction with Red Bull Racing.
F1’s Future Outlook
Liberty Media — which also owns the Atlanta Braves and SiriusXM — acquired F1 for $4.6 billion in 2017. The company’s F1 segment generated $668 million in revenue in Q3 2021, up from $597 million in revenue for the same period the year prior.
After a two-year absence, F1 made its way back to North America for the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas last October. The motorsport championship also signed a 10-year deal in April 2021 to host the Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium.
F1 wants to bring races to more cities across the U.S., including Las Vegas and potentially a “dream” race in Manhattan.