Formula 1 is now tantalisingly close to officially welcoming Volkswagen – the world’s second largest carmaker – to the grid for 2026. While F1 congregates in Melbourne, the German giant’s supervisory board is meeting back in Europe on Thursday where it is expected that Audi and Porsche will get the green light for two separate Formula 1 forays. But the April 7 board meeting will almost certainly be confirmation of VW’s approval for the deals, pending formalisation of significantly new engines rules in F1 for 2026. “We’ve heard that the two projects have already been completed internally,” former F1 driver Marc Surer told Sport1. Surer agrees: “These are two brands that have to go racing. “The presence and reach of Formula 1 through advertising is almost priceless,” Surer said.

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