F1 News
Made a bid for Audi F1? This manufacturer strongly denies it!
- Ludo van Denderen
Suddenly there was a persistent focus: Audi would be so much behind in preparing for an entry into Formula 1 in '26 that the German manufacturer wanted to pull the plug on the project. The story has since been debunked by both Audi and also Alfa Romeo/Sauber (which will soon become Audi's factory team, ed). But the rumour mill continues.
Indeed, a story was circulating in the F1 paddock that there was "a mid-tier team that had recently rejected a 1.2 billion takeover bid". Journalist Joe Saward wrote about it recently, but he could not name the team or the takeover party.
Toyota targets WEC
German media were quick to link Audi with a surprisingly different party: Toyota. Indeed, the Japanese concern is said to have heard that Audi wanted to drop out and hoped to take over the estate. At least, that would be the story. Motorsport Aktuell went to investigate and asked Rob Leupen, the Dutch team director of the Toyota team in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), for clarification.
Leupen revealed that Toyota has no plans to enter Formula 1. So no takeover of Audi either. Toyota does, however, remain focused on the WEC, in which it also captured the drivers' title last weekend. Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi (both ex-Toro Rosso) and Ryo Hirakawa (test driver of McLaren F1) can call themselves the best in 2023, while Toyota previously managed to claim the constructors' title for itself.