A highly exclusive brand is likely to enter F1! Will there be a new team?

Formula 1 is a highly exclusive world in itself, one that not everyone gets to enter. This applies not only to drivers or teams, but also to the car companies themselves. And more than a few are seriously considering entering F1 at the moment! Which brands are they?

Porsche, a member of the Volkswagen Group, is seriously considering entering Formula 1. Volkswagen itself has been thinking about entering F1 for some time, but the German firm has been put off by the current V6 hybrid turbo engines, which are expensive and too complex.

However, Formula 1 is introducing new rules for 2026, which are supposed to be about engines. The management of the queen of motorsport hopes that the new regulations will be attractive not only to existing manufacturers but also to potential new entrants.

Porsche and F1 are currently even in talks about the issue of future entry, with details of the new engines then key to the final decision.

The German manufacturer has already decided to become more involved in the world of motorsport this year. Indeed, they are already due to test their hypercar for the WEC this year, with which they will enter the series in 2023.

As such, Volkswagen is again considering entering F1 for the sake of expanding its area of operation. Indeed, since 2013 they have had their own team in the WRC, where they have already enjoyed four times the championship title, as far as the team championships are concerned. However, 4 other titles have been won by Volkswagen among the drivers.

For both manufacturers, the question is to what extent they would like to operate in Formula 1. Porsche in particular is not averse to a higher involvement. Their representatives have also considered partnering with Red Bull and forming a new partnership with them.

However, this is no longer too much to expect, for a very simple reason – Red Bull has decided to go its own way. This raises another, equally important question. Will the carmaker decide to create its own team in Formula 1?

This is certainly a valid consideration, but it is a very binding step. And for many reasons, just setting up a team in Formula 1 is an extremely expensive affair. In addition, under the current rules, the new team must pay a certain amount to the existing ones.

“I think everybody recognises that you can’t just come in and start ruling, but you have to give it time. That’s what a lot of manufacturers didn’t understand in the past,” Mercedes stable boss Toto Wolff explained in an interview with Motorsport.

“If you look back at teams like Toyota, BMW and Honda, you can see that all the money and resources you invest are irrelevant if you don’t give enough time to the project,” he adds.

“I think anyone entering F1 as a team or as a powertrain manufacturer needs to understand that. It takes time. And that’s what makes the sport so attractive:: it’s not easy to win,” he concluded.

According to the Motorsport website, we shouldn’t have to wait long for Porsche’s decision. Audi, as another member of the Volkswagen Group, is in similar negotiations with F1.

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, has also commented on Porsche’s entry into Formula 1. He thinks F1 should move in the direction of electrification.

“If you look into the future and you look at what the car manufacturers are announcing in terms of the proportion of electric cars they want to sell in the future, I think it’s very important that F1 makes a move towards electrification,” Laudenbach told Autosport.

“From what I know, a lot of things about Formula 1 are moving in the right direction – the importance of electrification. We’d like to see more standardised parts in the engine and more freedom in that regard,” he added.

“It’s also no secret that if you look at the PR figures, the fan base and the advertising value, Formula 1 is doing very well compared to other series. There is no doubt about that,” he concludes.

Sources: Motorsport, Autosport, ESPN