Porche to Buy 50% stake in Red Bull Formula 1 team

A document released by Morocco’s Conseil de la Concurrence disclosed Porsche’s plans to buy a 50% stake in Red Bull’s Formula 1 team before its anticipated entrance in 2026. The proposed agreement covers the majority of the F1 team’s operations and applies to Red Bull Technology, which is the official chassis builder for Red Bull Racing.

Although Herbert Diess, the previous CEO of the VW Group, stated in May that Porsche and its sister brand Audi had agreed to enter F1, Porsche’s debut in the sport has not been officially announced.

Porsche’s partnership with Red Bull was always anticipated, and it was initially planned to be revealed at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend a week ago.

That was put off since the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in June did not confirm the F1 engine regulations, which will be implemented starting in 2026. The regulations may be approved in early August, which would make Porsche’s official confirmation of entry easier. The Race understands that a vote on them is now approaching.

According to the Conseil de la Concurrence release, Porsche notified authorities of its intention to purchase 50% of Red Bull Technology Ltd., a unit of the Austria-based Red Bull GMBH, on July 8, the Friday before the Austrian GP.

The document also states that the goal of a Porsche-Red Bull joint venture would be to design and produce a power unit for Red Bull Technology.

The desire to collaborate with Red Bull, which has the necessary dynos and other equipment as part of its recently founded Powertrains arm, is a result of Porsche’s rumoured inability to produce an F1 engine internally.

Porsche’s technical involvement in the engine programme would be minimal at best, but purchasing a part in the team demonstrates the breadth of the company’s interest in a commitment to Formula One and that Porsche would not be content with a merely cosmetic engine badging agreement.

As part of the agreement, Porsche engines would also be used by Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri.

As it moves toward majority ownership by 2026, Audi, the second Volkswagen stable brand that wants to compete in Formula One, seems more and more likely to make incremental investments in the Sauber company.