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Porsche logo on a red sports car: The VW subsidiary will not play a role in Formula 1 for the time being
Photo:
Przemyslaw Jenarzewski / IMAGO / Zoonar
Porsche has at least postponed its planned entry into Formula 1, the German sports car manufacturer will not enter the premier motorsport class for the 2026 season.
SPIEGEL learned this from motorsport circles.
RTL had previously reported.
According to SPIEGEL information, the VW subsidiary will not register by the October 15 deadline set by the world association Fia.
In March, Porsche announced that it would consider participating in Formula 1 from the 2026 season.
From then on, the hybrid engines will be operated with 100 percent sustainable fuel.
The combustion engine in the unit should only contribute 50 percent of the power, the rest is electric.
In September it became official that the planned deal with Red Bull, the team around world champion Max Verstappen, would not come about.
The bone of contention in the negotiations was the decision-making power that Porsche would have had if it had taken over shares in the racing team.
Is he still coming, the right partner?
Porsche wanted to get into Formula 1 not only as a supplier of the powertrain, but also as a 50 percent partner of Red Bull.
This would have had the advantage that large parts of the power unit could be developed and built under one roof at Red Bull in Milton Keynes.
It was ultimately too much for Red Bull, they insisted on their independence.
»Our ability to make quick decisions is part of our DNA.
We are not a company-managed organization and that remains an absolute requirement for the future,” said team boss Christian Horner.
Porsche announced that a "partnership on an equal footing that also includes the team in addition to an engine partnership" could not be realized.
The talks were discontinued, after which it became quiet about the sports car manufacturer's involvement in Formula 1.
"The racing series remains exciting for us and we will continue to keep an entry open if we find the right partner," a spokesman told SPIEGEL on Thursday.
This means that only one VW subsidiary will enter Formula 1 for the time being.
In August, Audi announced that it would be added as a new engine manufacturer from 2026.
Audi is also said to be in negotiations with the Swiss Sauber racing team, which is currently starting as Alfa Romeo.
sh/ngo
