Max Verstappen welcomes his Orange Army at the gates of the Zandvoort Formula 1 circuit on XXL advertising banners.
Checkered flags are waving in the front gardens of the PS fans around the Dutch coastal town. Local hero and world champion Verstappen causes huge excitement at the Dutch Grand Prix.
But things are jerky between his Red Bull racing team and his dream partner Porsche. "Porsche F1 entry wobbly", was the headline in the specialist magazine "Auto, Motor und Sport". A week after Audi's entry into the 2026 season, the question is: When will the other Volkswagen subsidiary announce its final go?
"Porsche is in talks, but we haven't made a final decision yet," said VW CEO and Porsche boss Oliver Blume in an interview with the "Braunschweiger Zeitung". We welcome "the new regulations, which allow a significantly higher level of electrification of the engines and the use of synthetic fuels". But nothing more. That is the status quo of the sports car brand.
Formula 1 adapts to the car industry
Formula 1 has created a rule compromise for the long-awaited manufacturers Audi and Porsche. From 2026, the hybrid engines are to be operated with 100 percent sustainable fuel. The combustion engine in the unit should only contribute 50 percent of the power, the rest is electric. That fits with the future direction of the auto industry.
But now it's time for fine tuning. In this specific case, this means that Porsche has to come to an agreement with its future partner. Red Bulls team boss Christian Horner recently spoke of a "longer process". There are still "a few important obstacles" that need to be overcome before an agreement can be reached.
The desired date of the announcement, Austria for the Red Bull home game in July, has long since burst. Engine manufacturers have to register with the world motorsport association Fia by October 15 if they want to be there from 2026. You can also do this without a partner, but such a step is unlikely at Porsche.
It's also about power and independence
After engine partner Honda left at the end of 2021, Red Bull emancipated itself and founded its own engine forge called Red Bull Powertrains. The energy drink racing team uses the previously developed principles to build its own engine unit, but continues to receive technical help from the Japanese. This agreement runs until the end of 2025.
This is where Porsche comes in. According to "Auto, Motor und Sport", the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer wants to take over 50 percent of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the technology division of the Formula 1 team. For Red Bull, this means financial security, but also a significant say for the partner. However, Red Bull now wants to get better terms for itself and refers to its increased independence in the engine issue.
Porsche, which is scheduled to go public this year, wants to be at the forefront when it comes to entry. Therefore, a cooperation with Red Bull around the world champion Max Verstappen, who has a contract until 2028, is the goal. Horner decided that Porsche had to fit the "Red Bull philosophy". This is "absolutely fundamental to any discussion". There's poker.
