The Formula 1 rumor mill is churning out rumors rapidly these days, with Audi and Porsche at its forefront. VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess says that Porsche and Audi are getting back into Formula 1 racing ahead of the new regulation changes in 2026.

Audi and Porsche are getting back into Formula 1 racing

According to Reuters, VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess thinks that getting back into Formula 1 will bring in a lot of money. Or at least, it will bring in more money than it would cost to join. Audi and Porsche have been tossing around the idea of getting back into F1 but have mostly denied the move in the media.

In a “Dialog with Diess” YouTube video, Diess said the board of directors is finally on board with the idea. Porsche and Audi are some of the more important branches of the Volkswagen brand, making this a big move. Diess says that joining Formula 1 will bring in more money than it will cost to join, making this a good move.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has mostly dominated F1 for the last decade. Mercedes-Benz is one of Volkswagen’s biggest competitors off the race track. Mercedes joined Formula 1 back in 1994 as an engine manufacturer.

The growing popularity of Formula 1 around the world had a significant impact on the decision

Diess noted that the plans for Porsche to get back into motorsports were a little easier to iron out than Audi’s plans. According to a report from Reuters from March, Audi plans to offer $556.3 million to McLaren as a means to get back into racing. Meanwhile, Porsche intends to partner with Red Bull Racing sometime in the future.

In the same conversation, Diess said that the significant impact of Formula 1 advertising had been a big pull. Porsche plans to reduce other, less lucrative racing activities to focus on this partnership. In addition, there have been rumors of a new Porche AG initial public offering (IPO) as soon as the fourth quarter of this year. If Porsche does join F1, it won’t be for a few years.

Motor1 reports that the growth of Formula 1 in the last few years has had a major impact on plans. “If you look at the major sporting events or events in the world, it’s the case that in motorsport, it’s really only Formula 1 that counts and is becoming increasingly differentiated. If you do motorsport, you should do Formula 1 as that’s where the impact is greatest,” the VW leader said.

Not everyone at Volkswagen AG was on board at first

As Formula 1 moves forward, another major engine change is coming in 2026. That gives Porsche and Audi a good time to get into the sport at a good time. All cars will have new engines that only run on sustainable fuel. Both brands are already working on new technology to hit the race track running, if you will.

McLaren previously denied that Audi and Porsche were in talks to join the sport. Now it is reported that not everyone was thrilled with the idea, but it sounds like the promise of the sport’s popularity changed some minds. Ultimately, the board came around to the idea and is on board with Porsche and Audi getting back into F1. Now onto the engine design!