P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Audi will join Formula 1 from 2026 but they came close to joining many years ago, alongside Red Bull.
Red Bull faced a crisis after losing their dominance to Mercedes and had to make a decision regarding the 2014 engine regulations. They considered replacing Renault with Volkswagen, but the deal fell apart due to a scandal. Red Bull even considered selling the team to Audi. However, the Dieselgate scandal in 2015 prevented Audi from entering F1. Instead, Red Bull took a calculated risk and partnered with Honda, who had shown improvement with Toro Rosso. This decision paid off as Honda invested heavily and delivered a competitive engine. Red Bull then established their own Powertrains manufacturing unit and will continue using Honda engines until 2026.
