GERMAN car giant VW say they will join F1 in 2026 – ending years of speculation.
VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Monday they had “run out of arguments” for not joining the series.
The move is likely to see VW enter two of its brands – Porsche and Audi – joining an existing team on the grid.
VW has seen its rival Mercedes dominate the sport for the past eight years.
Red Bull gave Merc a run for their money last season, missing out on constructors championship by 28 points.
Max Verstappen managed to secure a victory for Red Bull though, winning the drivers world championship and preventing Merc’s Lewis Hamilton a record breaking eighth.
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Merc look off-pace so far this year with Ferrari and Red Bull looking like the top two teams who’ll go head-to-head for both titles.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is currently leading the drivers standings by 27 points to defending champion Verstappen.
Speaking at an event in Wolfsburg, where VW is based, Diess confirmed that Porsche’s preparations were further down the line with speculation linking them with Red Bull as engine suppliers.
Meanwhile, Audi could form their own partnership with another team on the grid with the likes of McLaren, Sauber, Aston Martin or Williams mooted as possible candidates.
The VW Group has been considering joining F1 for decades but most recently pulled out due to engine design rules and while the new engines are yet to be confirmed for 2026, it seems as though VW will commit to the project.
F1’s high advertising impact was apparently also convincing.
Diess said that as a result, Porsche will reduce other racing activities and concentrate more on F1.
