Porsche and Audi possible in F1 in 2026: These are the teams' successes

Earlier today, news broke that Audi and Porsche have likely signed on for the long haul as new F1 manufacturers. Formula 1 is said to have tied the knot for the new engine starting in 2026. A great time to look at the successes of the two teams in motorsport.

Porsche in Formula 1

Porsche made their debut in Formula 1 in 1958. The team was active in the sport until 1964 and achieved one victory. This was at the 1962 French Grand Prix with driver Dan Gurney. During these years Porsche worked together with several teams, including the Dutch team Ecurie Maarsbergen. The team was set up by the Dutch driver Carel Godin de Beaufort, who participated in the sport with his own cars. Dutchmen Ben Pon and Rob Slotemaker also drove for the team. It was not very successful.

In 1983, Porsche returned to F1 as an engine supplier to McLaren under the name TAG. In 1984 and 1985 the McLaren's won the constructors' and drivers' championship with Porsche's engine. In addition, they produced no less than 25 victories, nineteen of which were for world champion Alain Prost in 1985 and 1986. F1 legend Niki Lauda also achieved several victories with the Porsche engine. In 1984, he became world champion with six victories to his name.

The team returned as an engine supplier in 1991. It was a disastrous season for Porsche: they did not score a single point and did not even qualify for more than half the races that year. 

24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche is not only successful in F1. Porsche cars have been competing in the Le Mans 24 Hour race since 1951. They have won the 24 hours of Le Mans no less than nineteen times and have 108 class victories to their name. This means that Porsche holds the record for the most victories at Le Mans. On 14 June 1970, Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood achieved the first victory for Porsche at Le Mans. 

Porsche has another special record to its name. In 1971, Porsche participated in Le Mans with 33 out of 49 cars. It was Gijs van Lennep and Helmut Marko who won that year in a 917 Porsche and the distance record they set remained valid until 2010. Porsche's longest winning streak was from 1981 to 1987. In 2014 Porsche returned with its own factory team and achieved a hat-trick of victories. 

Like Porsche, Audi also has success in long-distance racing. They have victories in Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The brand made their debut at Le Mans in 1999 and immediately finished on the podium with a third place. The following year, Audi took their first win with Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Tom Kristensen. The same trio also won in 2001 and 2002. It didn't stop there, as the Germans took another hat-trick of victories in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Tom Kristensen's tally topped seven Le Mans victories. Kristensen is still the most successful driver at Le Mans.

In 2015 and 2016, Audi was beaten by Porsche. It was former F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg, among others, who managed to beat Audi in 2015. Audi is second behind Porsche with the most victories. They won thirteen times in sixteen participations time.

Formula E

Both brands have also been involved in Formula E. Audi has been competing in this racing class since the very first race in 2014. In the 2017/18 season, the team received full support from the Audi manufacturer and won the constructors' championship. Driver Lucas di Grassi drove for the Audi team all seasons and won the driver's championship in the 2016/17 season. Unfortunately, the team has decided to retire from the racing class, but it will still supply power units to customer teams.

Porsche announced in 2017 they were leaving the FIA World Endurance Championship with their LMP1 programme to focus on their Formula E debut. The team has four podiums to their name after two seasons in the sport. André Lotterer and old friend from Formula 1 Pascal Wehrlein drive for the team. 

DTM

Audi is also known for their successful DTM programme. They won a total of no less than 23 championship titles between 1990 and 1992 and from 2000 onwards. The 2019 season was the most successful for Audi, with three of the three championships attainable and many other records. In 2020, the Germans announced their withdrawal from the DTM to focus on other racing classes. From 2022, Audi will participate in the Dakar and focus on long-distance racing.