Volkswagen and its brands Porsche and Audi are open to entering Formula 1 for the 2026 season, a company spokesperson said on Thursday.
The comment follows months of speculation that the two brands were in negotiation over partnerships to enter the highest class of international racing.
The German carmaker, which has not previously been involved with Formula One but has worked with Red Bull in the world rally championship, did not announce how it planned on entering the sport.
The two brands would provide further information on the details at a later date, the spokesperson said.
The fan site PlanetF1 reported that strong speculation emerged last northern summer that one, or both, of Audi and Porsche could join the F1 grid as an engine manufacturer.
There has been no comment yet from Formula 1, as the Volkswagen announcement occurred while officials are gathered for round three of the World Championship in Melbourne this weekend.
Separately, Audi have made a bid of 500 million euros for the McLaren team.
- Reuters, with additional editing by George Russell
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