Aston Martin team principal Lawrence Stroll has confirmed that Audi have enquired about purchasing the Silverstone team.
Volkswagen charman Herbert Diess recently stated Porsche’s intent to join up with an existing team on the grid to provide them with powertrains and, such is a complexity of making and developing engines in Formula 1, they have begun work on their project four years before their intended entry under the new specification of power unit in 2026.
It is thought that Red Bull are the subject of Porsche’s proposal, but the Milton Keynes side have neither confirmed nor denied those rumours as they continue to ponder making their own engines out of an auxiliary factory they are currently building.
READ: Aston Martin looking to break away from Mercedes and produce own power units
“I can’t comment on that. You’ll have to ask Mr Diess about that,” said adviser Dr Helmut Marko.
Originally, the plan for Audi seemed to be that they would place a bid for McLaren, and CEO Zak Brown revealed that he would interested in negotiations if the price was right.
“If they decide (to come in) then there’s a conversation to be had but at this point we don’t want to have any conversations until we know someone is committed to the sport,” he said.
But Audi’s bid for McLaren seems to be all but dead in the water, leaving Aston Martin, Williams and Sauber as their most viable options.
Stroll has divulged that Audi have contacted his team about a possible purchase, but did not reveal his intentions at this time.
“Have we been approached by Audi? Yes. Are we very happy with our collaboration with Mercedes? Yes. The world of Formula 1 is full of these stories,” he said, quoted by Autosprint.
1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve has previously indicated that Stroll may well be struggling to discern how to run an F1 team having spent the majority of his career in the fashion business, and he reckons there is a lot of money in a potential buyout for his compatriot.
“In the end, Stroll is also a businessman and the investment would pay off like this,” he explained.
“The hype surrounding Formula 1 is currently great, so it can fetch a good price.”
Regarding engines, Aston Martin’s chief technical officer, Andrew Green, said that the team are considering breaking away from Mercedes and making their own power units in 2026.
“In the longer term, that’s definitely something we’re looking into,” he revealed.
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“New drive regulations will come into force in 2026. There will be talks over the next few years. I’m sure we’ll look at it in great detail to understand whether we could benefit from such a step.”
It is unknown whether an Audi takeover would affect any such plans, but the eventuality of Stroll selling Aston Martin may well hinge on the success of his five-year championship plan.