Red Bull’s aborted partnership with Porsche, once poised to shake Formula 1, collapsed in late 2022.
Fritz Enzinger, former head of Porsche Motorsport and Volkswagen Group motorsport, revealed the deal had reached a white‑paper phase when Red Bull’s executives pulled the plug.
Negotiations up to the final handshake
According to Enzinger, a handshake had already taken place between Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume and Red Bull co‑founder Dietrich ‘Didi’ Mateschitz. The plan had been to announce the alliance at the Indianapolis Grand Prix or the following race.
Enzinger said a joint press release was prepared, but regulations still required clarification. Porsche and Volkswagen had insisted on changes to power‑unit rules that the FIA would have needed to approve.
Behind the curtain: why Red Bull withdrew
Enzinger keeps the exact motive low‑profile, but he confirmed that Red Bull’s direction shifted during the final days. He emphasised Didi Mateschitz was “very, very poor health” at the time, and negotiations involved both Austrian shareholders and Thai majority owners.
He also ruled out rumours that Porsche had approached other teams. “During that phase, Porsche only ever spoke to Red Bull,” he insisted. The partnership had always been a one‑track strategy to enter Formula 1 as a joint venture with equal standing.
Aftermath: Audi takes the seat, Porsche stays ground
Instead of Porsche, the Volkswagen Group drove Audi into F1 by taking over the Sauber team, now the Audi works outfit with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. Enzinger believes the collapse may have spared the grid from a brand‑split turmoil.
He says “in hindsight … it is good that Audi is involved, one brand from the group.” He comments that a dual‑brand entry would have been “very, very difficult to imagine.”
The legacy of the collapsed venture
Red Bull later partnered with Ford for its F1 programme. The story of the almost‑deal shows how regulatory hurdles and internal health and ownership considerations can derail even the most promising collaborations. Porsche’s ambition to power Red Bull’s operation and own 50 % of its racing arm remains a what‑if that still interests motorsport watchers.
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