Volkswagen did an extensive study and considered a number of factors before finally deciding to enter F1. After months of speculation, the manufacturer’s intention to compete on the stage where Ferrari and Mercedes are already confirmed has been confirmed. An announcement is expected in the coming months.
In a video shown to investors, the group’s CEO, Herbert Diess, highlighted key aspects for the realization of the project that will take the Audi and Porsche brands —belonging to the German conglomerate— to the grid of the main world motorsport championship from 2026, the year in that the category will undergo a technical reformulation.
According to the director, the advance in F1’s sustainability policies and growth in markets such as the United States – a country that will have three races from 2023 – and Asia were crucial in convincing Volkswagen’s board to approve the project as a move. strategic.
It was also observed a growing appeal of the category among the young audience, something boosted by a series on Netflix with backstage of the World Cup.
“F1 is developing in a very positive way around the world,” said Diess. “The marketing they are doing together with Netflix has helped a lot in the growth in the US. The category is also growing in Asia and among younger people. If you look at the major sporting events in the world, in terms of motorsport, there is only to F1,” he added.
A global survey released six months ago by Nielsen pointed out that 34% of the current fan base of the category started following the championship from the last five seasons. According to the study, there was a 20% growth in some important countries, such as the United States, China and Brazil. And about 77% of these new fans belong to the 16-35 age group.
According to the Volkswagen executive, if the manufacturer does not take advantage of the 2026 window to enter F1, a new opportunity to enter the category competitively should only occur in more than a decade, as the development of new engines takes , on average, three to four years.
“The decision has to be made now or it will have to wait ten years. Our premium brands understand that F1 will be very sustainable. Also, the 2026 engines will have synthetic fuel and a much higher level of electrification. So they understand. which will be a much bigger spectacle in 2026, 2028. Bigger in the United States. Bigger in China”, explained the CEO.
The next generation of F1 cars will be fueled 100% by renewable sources. Currently, the percentage is 10%. The engines will keep the V6 turbo technology, but the MGU-H, the battery responsible for generating the vehicles’ electrical energy from the car’s exhaust heat, will be extinguished, being compensated by the MGU-K, a system similar to the one used by the industry in hybrid and electric cars.
Audi and Porsche must go their separate ways. While the first intends to have its own team and negotiates the purchase of a team already present on the grid, the second must enter into a partnership with Red Bull to develop the engines of the team of reigning champion, Max Verstappen – something similar to the agreement that the team had with the Japanese engine maker Honda.
It would be Porsche’s return to F1 after an absence of more than 30 years. His last appearance was in 1991, when he supplied engines for the defunct Footwork team.
Currently, there are four engine suppliers in the category: Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Red Bull, which started to develop its power unit after the end of its partnership with Honda.
According to Reuters, Audi would be willing to offer 500 million euros (R$ 2.6 billion) to buy the operation of the McLaren team, eight times F1 constructors champion. The Volkswagen group brand would also have consulted with Williams, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo.
The entry of the new brands would also add to the list of iconic commercial brands that have been and still are in F1, such as Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Toyota, BMW, Honda, Jaguar, Porsche and Aston Martin.
The official confirmation of Audi and Porsche’s entries in the category will likely be announced in July, during the Austrian GP.
The statements made by the Volkswagen CEO confirm a political victory for F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. The Italian already worked for the German group for four years, during a period in which he commanded Lamborghini, another brand of the conglomerate. The executive already knew well the politics of the Germans and the obstacles he would have to overcome.
And he did so with the help of the Qataris.
QIA, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, is the third largest owner of Volkswagen shares, controlling 17% of the votes on the board.
In 2021, Domenicali won Qatari support in his plan to attract the German manufacturer. An important step in the rapprochement was the closing of a ten-year contract for Qatar to enter the F1 calendar, starting in 2023, fulfilling an old desire of the country.
The realization of this dream was anticipated last year, with the Covid-19 pandemic still in a critical stage, which made some countries give up their evidence – cases of Canada, China and Japan. The city of Lusail, north of Doha, inherited one of the open windows in the schedule.
Now, with a helping hand from the Qataris, Volkswagen seems ready to enter F1 once and for all.
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