Audi is very close to entering the Formula 1 championship as reported by Autocar, citing a letter sent from the German automaker to FIA.

The letter was written by Markus Duesmann (Audi CEO), and Oliver Hoffman, (Member of the Board of Management of Audi AG Technical Development), addressing the now resigned FIA president, Jean Todt. The high-ranked officials wrote: “Thanks to your efforts we are now close to the finish line”.

While the CEO and the Boss of Technical Development said that Audi’s F1 involvement has not yet been approved by VW Group’s board, they stated: “Recently, we saw another milestone being reached – the first draft of the technical, sporting, and financial regulations”, adding that “We believe that it contains satisfying solutions for all the objectives”.

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Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler competed at the Formula E championship between 2017 and 2021 when Audi announced its departure in order to focus on its Dakar Rally entry.

The letter concludes with the following sentence: “We look forward to working with you and your team, to complete this important process and to confirm our Formula 1 entry early next year.” hinting at a possible announcement in the coming months.

VW Group has been considering Formula 1 for a while now. A few weeks ago, Thomas Laudenbach, head of Porsche Motorsport, has officially confirmed their interest in F1 saying that they are in talks with FIA. While the latest reports all but confirm Audi’s involvement, it is not clear if VW Group will allow both companies to proceed and whether it will be factory entries or engine suppliers. Despite the fact that McLaren denied reports of being acquired by Audi last month, Autocar suggests that Audi could be talking with both McLaren and Red Bull for a possible future partnership that could result in equity stakes in their F1 teams.

Volkswagen wants to take advantage of the new power unit rules that will come to focus in 2026. The new regulations will make F1 more environmentally friendly by adopting sustainable fuels and hybrid engines. At the same time, they will reduce the massive R&D costs that are associated with the sport nowadays, making it easier for new companies to enter and be competitive.