- Red Bull bosses had reportedly been angling for greater independence
- Porsche still interested in F1 entry for 2026
Porsche’s proposed entry into Formula One through a partnership with Red Bull Racing is off, the German auto manufacturer has announced.
Porsche had been expected to join the global motorsport series in 2026 and take a 50 per cent stake in the UK-based team.
However, Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS) reported at the end of August that the deal was in doubt, with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, team principal Christian Horner and technical director Adrian Newey pushing for greater independence.
The stance looks to have ultimately proved the partnership’s undoing, with Volkswagen-owned Porsche releasing a statement confirming it would not be joining forces with Red Bull.
‘In the course of the last few months [Porsche] and [Red Bull] have held talks on the possibility of Porsche’s entry into Formula One,’ said the statement. ‘The two companies have now jointly come to the conclusion that these talks will no longer be continued.
‘The premise was always that a partnership would be based on an equal footing, which would include not only an engine partnership but also the team. This could not be achieved.’
According to F1-Insider, the value of Red Bull had also increased since the start of the negotiations, which could have further complicated matters.
Horner had also not ruled out the team continuing its partnership with Japanese manufacturer Honda.
“I think that for 2026, nothing is fixed,” he told Autosport. “I mean, obviously, Red Bull Powertrains is established, we have more than 300 people recruited. So that is our path.”
BlackBook says…
This partnership seemed a formality, with speculation even mounting it could be announced as early as July’s Austrian Grand Prix. However, the seeds of doubt continued to be sown, with the value of the deal and Red Bull’s desire for greater independence proving decisive.
Porsche’s entry into Formula One, though, does not seem to be totally off the table. The company’s statement cited the various rule changes for 2026 making the sport ‘an attractive environment for Porsche, which will continue to be monitored’.
That said, there are not many options for a partnership on the grid, particularly a competitive one. An interesting avenue may be a union with Andretti Autosport, a proposition Formula One would struggle to say no to.
Still, we do know there will be at least one Volkswagen-owned brand lining up on the grid, after Audi confirmed its entry last month.