With the upcoming new engine regulations for 2026, come new opportunities. It’s the perfect time to jump into the sport, and heavy regulation changes usually coincide with a leveling of the playing field. Just look at when Formula 1 moved into the hybrid era, and Mercedes dominated from a backmarker team just years prior. As I have said in previous blogs ( link to it), Formula 1 needs more teams. I believe at least 3 new teams should join and take advantage of upcoming changes.

Porsche

The Volkswagen Group has been toying with entering Formula 1 for some time. I personally think they were about to when Dieselgate happened. Not only was this a huge black eye for Volkswagen, but it was insanely expensive, and rightfully so. However, even though they have made it clear that they won’t be entering any gas-based racing anytime soon, it doesn’t mean that some of their other brands can’t. This is where Porsche comes in. Porsche has a rich history of Motorsport and would be a perfect candidate solely based on their heritage alone. With the background to build a great foundation, it would seem like a great idea if they could get their foot in the door.

The main hesitation for any team entering Formula 1 is cost. Formula 1 is arguably the most expensive sport on the planet. However, it is as cheap as it will ever be to enter with the new cost caps, so perspective teams would be wise to join now. Albeit “cheap”, this does not guarantee a competitive car. For Porsche to get a decent grid position and have a lower cost to develop, they need help from Red Bull. Yes, Red Bull. Red Bull recently purchased ownership of the rights to Honda’s engine platform and has rebranded it as Red Bull Powertrains. It would benefit Red Bull to get a customer team to sell engines similar to Mercedes and Mclaren. Porsche and Red Bull already have other partnerships, so this could be an easy negotiation. Red Bull gets more money, and Porsche gets a competitive engine with minimal development. Once you see this partnership in this light, it’s starting to seem like a no-brainer. The only barrier would be if Red Bull sees Porsche as a genuine competitor, they may not want to hand them a World Championship Winning engine.

Audi

The next team that should join is Audi. Although, Audi joining would be heavily dependent on whether Porsche joins or not. Let’s assume that Porsche did, then Audi should follow suit. Following in the footsteps of Alpha Tauri and Red Bull, Porsche should bring Audi along as a junior team. Audi is considered a sub-brand to Porsche by the Volkswagen Group, so both teams could benefit. Swapping parts, strategies, even drivers makes it easier to take risks and try new techniques out at different races. Assuming Audi can get their hands on some of Red Bull’s engines, they would be just as competitive as Porsche out the gate and quickly fill the B team’s role. Having a B team is super underrated in Formula 1. You have access to strategic data, younger drivers, and new sponsorship opportunities. 

Basically, VW can get 2 teams for less than 2. VW would most likely go for a 2 team strategy as it mitigates the risks of joining Formula 1 without exponential cost increases. With Audi driving their Audi Sport brand and focusing on a Motorsport aspect, this would be an excellent place to showcase their performance. Plus, an Audi Sport team would look gorgeous in the new aero package. Sean Bull has already taken the liberty of designing some astonishing potential liveries. The main issue with this plan for Audi is it only works if there is an established Porsche team to back; otherwise, the secondary team of VW’s mid-level brand doesn’t make sense.

Nissan

My third recommendation is a bit of a wild card. I think Nissan should join Formula 1. Nissan recently unveiled the new Z and focused heavily on WEC racing. Additionally, they have recently announced a Formula E team. Their push to show that Nissan Motorsport has what it takes makes me wonder if they should try out Formula 1. 

Again, the main barrier to formula 1 is cost, specifically development costs. This is where Renault comes in. The majority owner of Nissan is actually Renault.

This makes me think it would be easy to get an engine-sharing deal, similar to the Red Bull/Porsche deal. If Nissan could get customer engines, the barrier would be shrunk to an attainable entry cost. Running the team as a NISMO (Nissan Motorsport) could help the sales of their new performance car push as well. With Netflix’s Drive To Survive bringing in hundreds of thousands of new, young, US viewers, this would potentially be a great way to market to these new watchers. More sales never hurt anyone, right?

Conclusion

3 new teams would be fantastic for Formula 1. The teams were still pretty spread apart, even after the epic 2021 season. Adding 3 teams to the mix would help fill those gaps and add to the on-track drama. Also, 3 teams mean 6 new drivers. Additionally, teams and drivers can only be good for the sport, further challenging the current crop and pushing everyone further. Competition is the best driver to innovate. With that, Let’s hope one of the execs at VW or Nissan read The Late Brake before 2026.