McLaren CEO Zak Brown has denied speculation that the F1 team will be sold to Audi, after the German marque were said to be interested in an acquisition. The Volkswagen Group last month revealed plans to enter F1 in 2026 with both their Audi and Porsche brands. But while Porsche are thought to be teaming up with Red Bull as an engine supplier, Audi's planned route into F1 is less clear. It is understood the marque are looking for an entry as a potential constructor, and Audi held talks with McLaren with a view towards taking over the team and rebranding it as their official F1 outfit. Asked in a press call with media, including RacingNews365.com , whether there was any chance that Audi would buy McLaren out in its entirety, Brown replied: "No. Our shareholders are very committed to McLaren. We did have conversations with Audi, and we're not for sale. "We're very committed to our future. We're doing really well on the track. Shareholders made substantial investments to give our team the resources we need to get back to the front. "Commercially, we're doing really well, morale in the team is really good. We don't have any interest in selling the racing team. "We won't consider a buyer of McLaren. It's up to [Team Principal] Andreas [Seidl] to decide what power unit he wants in the back of the racing car, but any conversations around buying McLaren is a non starter."
Brown: McLaren under no financial pressure to sell
Brown also referenced McLaren's current financial security as a factor in rejecting a proposed buyout, with a $185m investment from MSP Sports Capital in late 2020 helping to secure the McLaren Group's future after the firm had been hit hard by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're in a really strong position, and we weren't 18 months ago," said Brown. "MSP Sports Capital came in and invested. [Everyone] knows the situation we were in 18 months ago, and that now seems like a long time ago, especially given the state of play now. "Our terms for any partnership would be we retain ownership of the racing team, and if anyone wants to have a conversation that is different than that, then there's no conversation to be had."
Most read
