The British Formula 1 team could soon belong to Audi.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Munich Audi shows interest in British sports car manufacturer McLaren. According to corporate circles, the VW subsidiary is already taking a look at the books. McLaren could be an option for Audi to get into Formula 1, it said on Monday.
However, the prerequisite is that the racing series will rely on hybrid drives and e-fuels from 2026. In addition, Audi not only wants to take over the racing team, but also the sports car brand. Concrete negotiations or even an agreement have not yet been reached, it was said in Ingolstadt. “As part of our strategic considerations, we are constantly looking at various cooperation ideas,” said a spokeswoman.
McLaren sharply denied a report by the British car magazine “Autocar”, according to which McLaren boss Paul Walsh had already reached an agreement with Audi. At Audi, too, they point out that the considerations are only just beginning.
One thing is clear: Audi, like its sister company Porsche, is looking for a way into the popular racing series. Audi boss Markus Duesmann is a racing fan and was engine developer for the BMW Formula 1 team for many years.
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His calculation: If the regulations only allow hybrid drives and e-fuels from 2026, Formula 1 will be the ideal stage for Audi. The VW premium subsidiary plans to stop developing combustion engines from 2026 and convert the model range to electric drives. The sister company Porsche is also toying with an entry and, according to industry circles, is looking for closeness to the Red Bull team.
Audi and Porsche could have their own racing teams from 2026
Because without the expertise of the well-rehearsed racing teams, no car company drives in Formula 1. Teams like McLaren have built up the necessary knowledge over decades of how drives and chassis have to be adjusted to the extreme loads of Formula 1. Next to Ferrari, McLaren is the oldest and most successful racing team in the racing series.
Conversely, the rather small racing teams need cooperation partners from the automotive industry who use their money to finance the enormously complex development work. McLaren had worked with Renault, Honda and Mercedes in the past.
In order to get involved, Audi has to come to an agreement above all with the Mumtalakat Holding Company of the state of Bahrain, which currently holds 30 percent of the shares and is therefore the most important investor in McLaren. Audi not only wants to take over the racing team, but also the entire McLaren Technology Group, which, in addition to marketing and catering, also includes a small but fine sports car production facility. It makes no sense to only control the racing team while the sports cars belong to another car company, it is said from the Audi environment.
The McLaren sports cars would be a good addition for Audi. Today the VW subsidiary already owns the Italian sports car brand Lamborghini. Together with the super sports cars planned by Audi itself, all three brands could be put on a common technical basis and cooperate, according to the plans in Ingolstadt. Overall, Audi would take over a company with around 3,000 employees.
The considerations to get into Formula 1 testify to a new self-confidence in Ingolstadt. Immediately after the diesel scandal in 2015, Audi shut down its motorsport activities and cut budgets. In Formula 1, the VW subsidiary would not only compete with its sister company Porsche, but above all with Mercedes. The people of Stuttgart have dominated the competition for years and are regularly the world champions.
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