"The management and supervisory board of Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi have approved the plans for a possible entry of the brands into Formula 1," a spokesman for the German manufacturer told AFP.
“We thus have in principle the possibility of joining the championship from 2026,” added an Audi spokesperson.
"No decision has been made yet, we are in the final phase of the study."
The boss of Porsche, Oliver Blume, confirmed at the end of March the study of an entry in Formula 1, the press evoking "negotiations" with Red Bull.
"A final decision has not yet been made," said a spokeswoman for the brand.
Audi could for its part buy McLaren: the manufacturer is now offering some 650 million euros for the British team, against an initial offer of 450 million deemed too low by the target, the weekly Automobilwoche reported on Sunday.
Other options would go through Sauber (present in F1 under the name of Alfa Romeo Sauber), Williams or a partnership with Aston Martin, according to the daily Handelsblatt.
Committed like the entire Volkswagen group to a vast electric shift, Audi and Porsche hope to take advantage of an entry into Formula 1 to display their "green" technologies and ambitions.
Audi will only join the championship on "condition" that the regulations valid from 2026 "provide for extensive changes for a more sustainable sport", explained the spokeswoman on Thursday.
"We are in contact with the FIA federation for this."
Audi boss Markus Duesmann is a big motor racing fan: before joining the Volkswagen group, he was responsible for engine development within the BMW F1 team.
© 2022 AFP