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It's official now: Porsche and Audi will join Formula 1

German automaker Volkswagen on Monday confirmed its return to Formula 1 racing from the 2026 season with its premium brands Audi and Porsche.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess Porsche and Audi will join Formula 1
Author
Wolfsburg, First Published May 2, 2022, 8:55 PM IST

German automaker Volkswagen on Monday confirmed its return to Formula 1 racing from the 2026 season with its premium brands Audi and Porsche.

Group CEO Herbert Diess put an end to months of speculation surrounding Volkswagen entering the Formula 1 competition. However, fans will have to wait till the 2026 season to see Audi and Porche on the racetrack. That is because the folks at Volkswagen believe that the rule changes planned by the FIA for 2026 present the best opportunity for the two brands to enter the competition.

All F1 teams will have new engines in 2026 which will run on fully sustainable fuels even though the engine architecture will be similar to the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid in use currently. 

Besides, there is also the factor of engine development -- something that the Volkswagen management believes will take at least three years to perfect.

Formula 1 involves huge investment. And Diesse did not hold back the fact that not everyone on the Volkswagen board was on board with the idea initially but voted favourably when convinced that entering the sport would boost the brand value of both Porsche and Audi. 

The Netflix boost

Volkswagen's decision to enter the Formula 1 arena may have been influenced by the Netflix docuseries 'Drive to Survive'. During his interaction on YouTube, Diess said that the series had triggered massive interest in the sport.

He said that the series had contributed significantly to Formula 1's popularity among young customer groups in the US and Asian markets.

Diess further said that today if someone were to speak of motorsport, Formula 1 will be the most talked-about.

The 2026 powertrain change

Come 2026, the complex Motor Generator Unit-Heat or the MGU-H will be gone forever. For the uninitiated, the MGU-H captures energy from exhaust gases.

Replacing the MGU-H in 2026 will be the MGU-K or Kinetic which will recapture energy on braking. The MGU-K is similar to the energy recapture systems on most hybrid vehicles on the road today.

The 2026 engines will also run on 100 per cent sustainable fuels. 

The Formula 1 Commission will be voting on the 2026 engine rules in July. 

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