Rumor: Audi eyeing F1 move for 2025 (Update)

This rumor is downgraded to ‘false’ today.  Audi has played down new speculation of a potential F1 project for 2025.

The rumors had been kick-started by new F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s recent comments about potential interest from new manufacturers in the all-new engine format.

“It will be an increasingly hybrid F1,” Domenicali has now told Il Giornale newspaper.

Prior to re-joining Formula 1, the Italian was CEO at Lamborghini – which like Audi is another Volkswagen brand.

“This will allow the big manufacturers to continue to develop a technology that, in my opinion, has a very great future ahead of it, especially in the transitory phase,” Domenicali added.

“All of this will be part of the discussions we have started with the big manufacturers in order to attract new ones as well.”

The obvious destination for Audi would be Red Bull, whose Dr Helmut Marko says the team’s new 2022 engine program could be the precursor to full works status under the 2025 regulations.

“We are open to new partners,” Marko insists.

Audi, though, is not playing ball with those rumors for now.

A spokesman for the German carmaker said he has been pulling out his standard Formula 1 denial “for ten years”.

“At the moment we’re not dealing with Formula 1. We have our motorsport strategy for the next ten years and that doesn’t include F1,” the Audi spokesman is quoted by RTL. (GMM)

(GMM) Audi is reportedly eyeing a move into Formula 1, and according to a specialist media outlet, Red Bull’s current partner Honda is already aware of the rumors.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport claims that, pending the 2022 development ‘freeze’, negotiations between Red Bull and Honda about a handover of the engine operations for 2022 are now positively concluded.

However: “The negotiations apparently did not go very smoothly,” revealed respected correspondent Michael Schmidt.

“According to our information, Honda wanted to make sure that data and design details were not passed on to third parties or future engine partners,” he said.

“Apparently, word got out as far as Tokyo that Audi is interested in a Formula 1 entry from 2025. A collaboration with Red Bull is obvious,” added Schmidt.