F1 Loses Porsche Deal In Devastating Blow

Porsche has decided not to join the Formula 1 grid in 2026, despite having an interest in the championship. The company had planned to enter F1 alongside its sister brand, Audi, as part of the new engine regulations. However, Porsche's talks with Red Bull and McLaren fell apart due to the manufacturer wanting a controlling stake in the teams.

This marks the end of F1's best opportunity to bring Porsche back to the sport since the failed Footwork partnership in 1991. While Porsche still retains an interest in F1, the company has shifted its focus to existing motorsport programs, including a works Formula E entry and a high-profile return to the top class at the Le Mans 24 Hours as part of the 963 Hypercar project.

When the initial decision to try to find a way to enter F1 was revealed last year, then-VW CEO Herbert Diess said that those factors meant it was probably the last chance for a decade to join the grid. Diess stated:

"You need five or 10 years to be among the front runners. In other words, you can only get onboard if you have a major rule change. That means you can decide now to do Formula 1 – or then probably not again for 10 years."

Porsche's Red Bull discussions were its most high-profile effort to get on the grid. It lined up a 50% buy-in into the company and planned to have its own engine supply. However, the discussions fell apart last summer, and Porsche insisted that it was still assessing options to join the grid but only by chasing a stake in an existing team as it lacks the infrastructure to take on a solo engine project.

Any Porsche engine deal after the collapse of the hoped-for Red Bull tie-up would likely have been limited to using the engine that Audi plans to design and build and possibly running it in the Porsche name. It is unclear how many teams were approached formally, but McLaren had direct conversations with both Porsche and Audi. Unfortunately, McLaren was unwilling to forfeit control or naming rights, which prevented discussions from continuing.

Starting a new team from scratch did not appeal either due to the cost and infrastructure involved. The FIA has opened a process for up to two new teams to join from 2025, but Porsche did not formally register its interest in the engine rules for 2026, as it lacked the infrastructure to take on a solo engine project.