Porsche calls off Formula One plans

Porsche has announced that it will not go ahead with its plans of entering Formula One with Red Bull Racing in 2026.

The luxury German car manufacturer had been in talks to join the grid for several months, but the company has ultimately decided against it.

Porsche was rumoured to be joining the Red Bull team as a partner of Red Bull’s Powertrains project. It was reported that the company would be buying a 50% stake in Red Bull Technology.

Porsche released a statement, which read:

“In the course of the last few months, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and Red Bull GmbH have held talks on the possibility of Porsche’s entry into Formula 1. 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. With the finalised rule changes, the racing series nevertheless remains an attractive environment for Porsche, which will continue to be monitored.“

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had stated that any deal with Porsche would have to be on their terms and that it would be an “engine-only” partnership.

Following the announcement by Porsche, Horner said that the Red Bull Power Unit program was never looking for any outside support. 

Christian Horner, Team Boss, Red Bull Racing, stated:

“Obviously with Red Bull becoming a powertrain manufacturer in 2026, it was always natural to hold discussions. Those discussions have now been concluded, and the consensus was that it was not right for Red Bull’s involvement in F1.

“We committed to becoming a powertrain manufacturer a year and a half ago, or just over that. We’ve invested massively in facilities and people and the first Red Bull engine fired up approximately a month ago. So it’s a tremendously exciting new chapter for Red Bull, and it’s never been contingent or dependent upon an involvement from a third party or an OEM. That was absolutely never a prerequisite.

“There was never a financial discussion. Porsche is a great brand, but the DNA is quite different. During the discussion process it became clear that there was a strategic non-alignment. Red Bull has demonstrated what it’s capable of in F1. And obviously, as an independent team and now engine manufacturer we look forward to go to competing against the OEMs with the powertrain as well as the chassis.

“We are fully focused on a Red Bull power unit, and if there was a like-minded partner that could contribute something to the project, then of course you would have to absolutely consider that. But it’s not a prerequisite. We will be the only team other than Ferrari to have engine and chassis all on one campus under one roof. We believe that for the long-term competitiveness of the team, is absolutely the right thing to be doing. And of course, there are other opportunities it presents as well. 

“RB17 for example, we could potentially even produce our own power unit for that project, so strategically for us having the whole campus under one roof makes a great deal of sense.“

Meanwhile, Porsche’s sister company Audi has announced that it will be joining Formula One from the 2026 season onwards as a power unit supplier.