Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko has insisted that it is not his place to reveal any details about Porsche’s potential interest in partnering with the Milton Keynes-based side in 2026.
Volkswagen chairman Herbert Diess has recently confirmed that their subsidiaries, Porsche and Audi, are seeking to join the pinnacle of motorsport in four years, with the former reportedly interested in supplying powertrains for Red Bull.
There is slightly more ambiguity about Audi’s intentions though amid speculation that they are looking to buy Aston Martin, Williams or Sauber after interest in McLaren appeared to dissipate.
Diess revealed that there was plenty of scepticism from the rest of the board about entering F1, but the financial gains they could get from having their name on the grid eventually made them “run out of arguments.”
Volkswagen have been involved with Red Bull before, partnering with the energy drinks company between 2013 and 2016, winning four world titles and 41 events with Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala.
So there is precedence of success between the two parties in motorsport, but as far as F1, Dr Marko remains tight-lipped.
“I can’t comment on that. You’ll have to ask Mr Diess about that,” he told F1-Insider.com.
Team principal Chritian Horner previously affirmed that work on Red Bull’s own powertrains factory is progressing well, indicating that they are on track to manufacture their own power units and gearboxes in 2026.
“It’s been an incredible achievement in a short space of time, but everything is still very much on target,” explained the Briton.
“We’ve got more than 200 people recruited at the moment within the project, and they’re scattered around the [Red Bull] site, but they’ll be moving into their new home imminently.
“It’s been a huge challenge, and I have to say all the contractors and suppliers have done an amazing job, because it’s not just the building, it’s what’s in the building.
“[We’ve got] dynos, machines, measuring tools, all the equipment that’s coming online to have a state-of-the-art power unit facility.”
It remains to be seen whether the new factory in Milton Keynes will be used as an auxiliary by Red Bull themselves, or whether the work will be outsourced to Porsche, but Diess emphasised that it would be difficult to climb through the ranks in F1 with a “new team,” further hinting at a partnership with Red Bull.