The rumour mill surrounding Audi’s purchase of McLaren has been abuzz of late, however, McLaren Group has explicitly denied this.

Rumours were ignited by an article published by Autocar which suggested that Audi had purchased both McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing. Having caught wind of the rumours, McLaren has released a statement saying the article is untrue, and there has been no change in ownership.

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“McLaren Group is aware of a news media report stating it has been sold to Audi. This is wholly inaccurate and McLaren is seeking to have the story removed,” the statement said. “McLaren’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other carmakers, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group.”

Multiple news reports have claimed that two of the “Big Three” German car companies are looking to take over McLaren: BMW and Audi. Car Throttle has reported that the former is only looking at McLaren’s automotive business, however, Audi is keen on both that and the racing side of things.

According to those familiar with the matter, Audi is allegedly ready to secure a deal for both McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing worth £1 billion.

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Car Magazine has reported that BMW is set to meet with wealth fund Mumtalakat in early December. BMW’s potential deal with McLaren would be huge for the company as it would allow the German brand to go head-to-head with AMG-Aston Martin. It would also enable BMW to compete with Volkswagen Group supercars by Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini.

On the other hand, it would appear that Audi’s interest in McLaren would be to strategically block out its longtime competitor.

In September, Audi put its RS Q e-tron, set to race in the Dakar Rally in 2022, to the test in Morocco. While the team gained plenty of insight, it admitted the car needed more work. The 2022 Dakar Rally is a 12-stage event that will take place from 2-14 January 2022. It will take place in Saudi Arabia, starting in Ha’il and ending in Jeddah — going through canyons, cliffs, coastline, and stretches of dunes.

Watch this space as this story unfolds.

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