Cristiano Ronaldo is selling his lavish private jet, because he wants to buy an even bigger one.

Iconic footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to sell his private jet, due to the fact he wants to buy an even bigger one. This comes from an exclusive report by EsDiario. The Spanish media outlet reports that he hasn’t bought a new one yet, because he hasn’t found one that he likes. But seeing as Cristiano now has five kids, it seems he needs a more spacious flying machine. Such is the life of an international football star…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

In the meantime, if you fancy taking a look at his current jet – a Gulfstream G200 that he got in 2015 for about 20 million euros (AUD $29 million) during his legendary time at Real Madrid – there are plenty of shots of it on Instagram (Ronaldo has posted shots of himself living the high life with his wife, kids, Portuguese teammate Pepe and more). According to EsDiario, Cristianos’s Gulfstream G200 can accommodate 10 people and has all sorts of personalised touches.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

The jet is called “Real Madrid,” can reach speeds up to 901 kilometres per hour, and has beds, kitchen appliances, and Wi-Fi. It was also one of 250 Gulfstream G200s made in 2006, with Ronaldo taking ownership of it in 2015 and having it refurbished in 2019. It has great range, too, being able to fly from Geneva to Dubai. Marca reports that Cristiano rents this private jet out when he doesn’t need to use it, “at a rate between 6,000 and 10,000 euros for each hour of flight.”

Cristiano owns more than one private jet, too. In addition to the Gulfstream G200, he also, according to AutoEvolution, owns a Gulfstream G650, which is valued at $64.5 million (USD). This aircraft can take to 18 passengers and can reach 956 kilometres per hour.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

The Portuguese superstar’s on-field future remains very much up for grabs, with negotiations regarding him staying (or leaving) Manchester United ongoing, and his future arguably as up in the air as his private jet. The transfer window closes in a couple of days though so we should know where he will end up soon.

• Cristiano Ronaldo Savages Jamie Carragher With Super Petty Act
• Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth, Age, Wife & Crazy Facts

The post Cristiano Ronaldo Is Selling His Private Jet, Because It’s Not Big Enough appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The biggest tennis star on the planet shows off a new Rolex watch that’s out of this world – literally.

Ah, the perks of being Roger Federer. The 41-year-old tennis star has plenty of business ventures and sponsorship deals but we’d say the one that’s closest to his heart is his deal with Rolex. The Swiss champ has long been an ambassador for the prestigious Swiss watch brand, and while he’s definitely got deals that make him more money, we’d say he’s the most satisfied with his Rolex deal.

Why? Because Rolex furnishes him with a sh*tload of watches that most of us would have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars and/or wait years on waiting lists to get the chance to wear. He’s got just about every type of Rolex you can think of: Air-Kings, GMT-Masters, Oyster Perpetuals, Submariners…

His newest ‘Rollie’ is one of his more impressive pickups, though: a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Meteorite Dial’ (ref. 116509-0073) he was spotted wearing during a photoshoot promoting the upcoming collaboration between his sneaker brand, On Running, and Ronnie Fieg, founder of KITH and one of the world’s biggest sneaker entrepreneurs.

As you may have guessed already, this Daytona is crafted from 18ct white gold and features a meteorite dial – which isn’t just some euphemism or nickname but a dial literally made out of a thin piece of actual meteorite.

RELATED: The Best Rolex Watches To Buy In 2022

Not only is such a material exceptionally rare, but also aesthetically unique. The very slow cooling process molten asteroid cores undergo as they fly through space and enter our atmosphere creates striking and unusual metallic patterns. The result is that no meteorite dial is exactly the same, making each Rolex watch with one highly exclusive, and indeed, Rolex only offers meteorite dials on their most exclusive watches.

We reckon the white gold of this Daytona pairs perfectly with its meteorite dial, creating a cool, futuristic look. It’s the ‘cleanest’ meteorite dial watch in Rolex’s range – perfect for a squeaky-clean gent like the Rog.

While the 20-time Grand Slam title winner skipped competing in Wimbledon this year, he’ll be back on the tennis court come September where he’s set to compete in the Laver Cup in London. Fingers crossed his time away from the court will see a return to form.

• Roger Federer Wears Rolex’s Most Exclusive New Watch To Wimbledon
• Roger Federer Gives Men A Lesson In How To Age Gracefully

The post Roger Federer Hits It Out Of The Park With ‘Meteoric’ New Rolex appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Wanting a job where you can slack off but still get paid a lot of dough? You’re in luck – the good people of Reddit have revealed which professions are well paid but would allow you to easily bludge…

Australians undeniably love a good bludge. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, ‘to bludge’ essentially means to shirk off your responsibilities and just take it easy.

And there are few things in life that are better than bludging at work and getting away with it. But imagine getting paid handsomely to do so.

Well, as it turns out, there are multiple jobs that are extremely well paid but don’t involve busting your hump. A recent Reddit thread asked users, “What’s the bludgiest [sic] but best paid gig in Australia?”

And Reddit users came through, providing multiple new career options for lazy Australians everywhere. One user said becoming a lift technician was a great option for those wanting to get paid a lot to do a whole lot of nothing.

“Lift technician. Make $100-150k depending if you want to do overtime to mostly play on your phone and tick boxes. Disclaimer: sometimes you actually have to do work but mostly you just sit around waiting for a lift to break down.”

Reddit user Carrabs

‘Security guard’ was a popular answer, although many pointed out you’d either have to do the graveyard shift or find a particular type of security guard job to be able to bludge…

“Guy I know is a security guard for a transport company, sits in an air-conned box with a fridge for 12 hours a day playing RuneScape on his laptop. Probably makes about $1500 a week just so no one makes a wrong turn into the carpark.”

Reddit user AnOldMate

Surprisingly, one Reddit user suggested becoming an electrician – a job notoriously known for being physically demanding. Although the key is to become a “commissioning” sparky in order to bludge.

“Commissioning electrician. Sit around all day watching Netflix and drinking coffee, taking home $3k/week while programmers and engineers work out what went wrong with their design.”

Reddit user Soggy-Wombat

The most common answer throughout the Reddit thread was any sort of “government” job, which do seem pretty cushy but are extremely competitive. So, good luck if you choose to go down that path (especially now that former PM Scott Morrison occupies at least four different government jobs – a notion many Reddit users humorously pointed out).

Other well-paying jobs that’d allow you to bludge involve moving away from the city. As one Reddit user suggested, “Emergency services in a rural community. Some low population towns might be lucky to get one call a month. With staff on $100k/annum,” while another wrote:

“Plumber out at the coal mines… sit in a crib room and wait for a call to say there is a leak which on average takes 5 mins to fix. Usually do 1 or 2 jobs a week and get paid $140k a year.”

Reddit user Hot-Hornet5096

And there you have it; if you lack ambition and drive and would love to get a big pay cheque for practically sitting around all day, you have many options. Maybe it’s time to do up your resume and go after a ‘bludgy’ sea change.

• The Highest Paying Jobs In Australia Revealed
• Australians Divulge The Best Financial Decisions They Ever Made

The post Australians Reveal The Best Paid ‘Bludgiest’ Jobs In The Country appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Qantas has announced a new direct flight route from Auckland to New York. The flights will kick off in June 2023. The route is touted as providing “seamless connections” between Australia and New York via New Zealand.

Qantas has announced a new service from Australia to New York via Auckland, kicking off from June the 14th, 2023.

The route will be serviced by QF3 and QF4, and will see Qantas get back to servicing New York three days a week, after a three-year break due to COVID-19. Flights will be operated by Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Three new 787 Dreamliners are scheduled to be delivered next year.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said flying via Auckland gives Australians from all parts of the country a better chance to make the trip, before hopping on an uninterrupted 16-hour flight to New York.

“We’re back flying to most of our pre-COVID destinations, which is a fantastic achievement by our teams and so important for Australians reconnecting with the rest of the world,” Joyce said.

“We can’t wait to return to New York and it’s made possible by the delivery of new aircraft, which have been caught up in delays that have impacted lots of airlines.”

Alan Joyce

“Customer feedback on our direct London and Rome services show how well suited our Dreamliner cabins are to longer international flights like these, which is helped by the fact we designed them with more room and fewer seats than most of our competitors.”

“We think this route will be very popular with Australians given the opportunity to connect via Auckland and it also gives New Zealanders more choice.”

Sydney-Auckland-New York flights are on sale as of today. At present, Qantas operates six daily services to Auckland from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Qantas says this will jump up to 11 daily services when flights from Auckland to New York begin next year.

As for those of you with Qantas Points burning a hole in your virtual wallet, Qantas will fly two Points Planes in the first week of the route operating, with all seats across every cabin available as a Classic Reward flight on QF3 and QF4 on the 16th of June, 2023.

Points Plane connections will also be available for Frequent Flyers based in Brisbane and Melbourne to use Classic Rewards for their trans-Tasman flights, the airline has announced.

• Qantas Launches ‘Apology Package’ To Make Up For Recent Operational Challenges
• Qantas Announces Coolest ‘Points Plane’ Destination Yet

The post Hallelujah! Qantas Is Launching Direct Flights To New York appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The only thing Mark Wahlberg likes more than working out is buying Patek Philippe watches – although we imagine his latest purchase was likely a workout for his wallet…

The 51-year-old actor, producer, former rapper and fitness fanatic is one of Hollywood’s most prolific watch collectors, but he’s got a particular passion for Patek: Wahlberg owns literally dozens of pieces from what’s widely considered the most prestigious watch brand on the planet, from iced-out Nautiluses to nifty Grand Complications.

But it’s the latter – that is, the collection that contains the Swiss watchmaker’s most complicated, expensive and hard-to-get watches – that he has a particular passion for.

Hanging out with California watch collector Zach Lu – who’s perhaps best known as the man who bought the first ever Tiffany & Co. Nautilus for over $6 million – Wahlberg showed off his new Patek Philippe Grand Complications
Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater (ref. 5374/300P), worth a solid US$1.15 million. Jeez.

This watch, which was unveiled to journalists earlier this year at Watches & Wonders Geneva (that’s if you were even allowed into the Patek booth – only a fraction of W&W attendees were allowed in), is a hefty chunk of platinum and diamonds that stands out as one of Patek’s blingiest pieces.

RELATED: ‘The Best Of The Rest’ From Watches & Wonders 2022

Its case, lugs and bezel are adorned with a huge array of diamonds, with both the case sides and its bezel featuring a double row of baguette diamonds. Its dial flange is also set with baguette diamonds, with baguette blue sapphires on the hour-markers.

As the name implies, it combines a perpetual calendar with moonphase display with a minute repeater complication, activated by the slider on the left-hand side of the case. Mental stuff.

• The Brutal Reality Of Attempting Mark Wahlberg’s Insane Daily Routine
• Mark Wahlberg Spotted Wearing The One Rolex Everyone Wants Right Now

The post Mark Wahlberg Buys Yet Another Ridiculous Patek Philippe appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s always a good day when you see your celebrity heroes walking down the street, but New York City residents had the once in a lifetime chance to see some of the biggest names in rap music and basketball up close in 2003. They missed out on that chance, however, all because of a blackout.

The greatest pick-up game to never happen saw rap music titans Jay-Z and Fat Joe organising a street basketball game at Harlem’s Rocker Park to help settle the beef they had with one another. At the time, both Jay-Z and Fat Joe – both rap artists from New York – were constantly battling it out supremacy in the music charts.

Boardroom says Jay-Z was particularly keen for the pick-up game to go ahead because he could use it as “marketing to push both his signature footwear and his upcoming record.” The rapper, real name Shawn Carter, had just released two Blueprint albums (in 2001 and 2002) and was soon to release The Black Album.

It was his signature sneaker made in collaboration with Reebok that he wanted to promote, however. While the Reebok S.Carter was already the brand’s fastest-selling shoe in its history at the time, there were still pairs in stock waiting to be sold.

Fat Joe was also getting in on the sneaker collaboration game, according to Boardroom, “While already famous for the Terror Squad exclusive Air Force 1s sent to Nike by his crew, Joe was inches away from being the first artist to have a collaboration with Jordan Brand.”

WATCH: LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal & More Talking About The Greatest Pick-Up Game That Never Happened

So, with the reasoning taken care of, who was to play in the ultimate pick-up game of street basketball?

Jay-Z and Fat Joe were captains of Team S.Carter and the Terror Squad, respectively, and they actually competed in the summer season of the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic, a basketball tournament founded in 1982 and held at Rucker Park.

Starting players for the initial games for Fat Joe’s Terror Squad included Jermaine O’Neal, Zach Randolph, and Shawn Marion, Stephen Jackson and Stephon Marbury.

Jay-Z recruited the likes of Lamar Odom and Sebastian Telfair – who was just a teenager at the time – Kenyon Martin and, in perhaps the biggest move of all, Jay managed to secure the services of one LeBron James. Fat Joe responded by convincing Carmelo Anthony to join his squad.

With some games already played, August 14th was the date of the final championship game and for it, Fat Joe managed to secure Chinese basketball player Yao Ming, along with Allen Iverson and Mike Bibby, who were available to play the championship game.

Jay then managed to pull off another incredible feat by getting Shaquille O’Neal to play. As Shaq says in a documentary video shared by Complex Sports on Instagram, “Jay Z sent the plane and I came up because they said Fat Joe had Yao Ming. You know, Fat Joe’s my guy but when they say they wanna bring Yao Ming up to the city, you know I got to come shut that down.”

Boardroom adds the game was set to start at either 6pm or 8pm, according to conflicting reports, but because of the promotion and hype surrounding the game, “Jay rolled past the Rucker at 2, and there was already 10,000 people out there.”

With the basketball stars assembled and crowds in attendance, the lights went out.

LeBron James says in the same clip shared by Complex, “I was playing for Team Roc-A-Fella and then the blackout happened. So everything was shut down. We weren’t allowed to play there.”

“We just sat on the bus and the lights never came on, so we just relaxed.”

The blackout is now referred to as the Northeast Blackout of 2003, which affected the Northeastern and Midwestern parts of the United States and most of Ontario in Canada. The majority of affected locations had their power restored by midnight of August 14th, but by that point, the pick-up game of basketball was beyond rescuing.

As one man says in the documentary video, “Jay Z was due to leave town Friday (August 15th). He already had it all mapped out that win it or lose it, he was out the next day.”

“The lights came back on the next morning but it was really too late to have the game. So the game was scheduled for Monday.”

Fat Joe’s team showed up for the rescheduled game on Monday, and was granted the win by forfeit. Boardroom says, “The contest was rumored to be rescheduled again in September at Madison Square Garden, but the acceptance of the forfeit and various NBA and NCAA imperatives kept it from happening.”

Fat Joe said on All The Smoke podcast years later, “If they had Shaq, I’d say they win. I’m not dizzy. I’m not crazy. You’ve got Shaquille O’Neal at that time? You’re winning, nobody’s gonna stop him.”

• UFC Looked Very Different In 1993…
• The Story Of The Most Controversial Soccer Kit In History

The post The Greatest Pick-Up Game That Never Happened appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

An Edith Cowan University study found that performing one muscle contraction for just three seconds per day increased muscle strength…

The idea of being in perfect shape with bulging biceps, defined abs and monster calves is a nice one… Until you get to the gym and realise that you have to work extremely hard to achieve it.

Not to mention, how ‘clean’ you have to eat – if you want a ripped body, you can practically kiss burgers and tacos goodbye. And it’s because of these reasons, that there are not too many of us who look like Chris Hemsworth or Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

But to those of you who are a little lazy and couldn’t imagine a happy life without fried foods, there’s finally hope for you to get jacked with minimal effort. Perhaps you can actually have your cake and eat it too…

Scientists at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia have revealed that just three seconds of exercise per day will build muscle. Seriously.

A study conducted by ECU, led by Professor Ken Nosaka and in collaboration with researchers from Japan’s Niigata University of Health and Welfare, oversaw 39 participants who were asked to perform one muscle contraction (a bicep curl) at maximum effort for three seconds per day, for five days a week over a month.

Of these 39 participants, one third were asked to perform isometric bicep curls (which is focusing on holding the weight parallel to the ground), one third were asked to perform concentric bicep curls (focusing on lifting the weight) and the last third were asked to perform eccentric bicep curls (focusing on lowering the weight). And a further 13 participants who were also monitored as a part of the study, were asked to do no exercise at all over the month.

And the results showed that in just a month all 39 participants who did some form of bicep curl for three seconds, five times a week, had improved muscle strength. While the group who did no exercise over the month had no increase in their muscle strength.

The eccentric bicep curl group received the most benefit; overall muscle strength improved by 11.5 per cent. Professor Nosaka was delighted by the results and said it suggests that long hours at the gym aren’t necessary.

“The study results suggest that a very small amount of exercise stimulus – even 60 seconds in four weeks – can increase muscle strength. Many people think you have to spend a lot of time exercising, but it’s not the case. Short, good quality exercise can still be good for your body and every muscle contraction counts.”

Professor Nosaka

Professor Nosaka also said that he plans to investigate other muscle groups and hopes those studies produce similar results – because then, that would mean that beneficial total body workouts could be done in an incredibly short amount of time.

“We haven’t investigated other muscles yet, but if we find the three-second rule also applies to other muscles then you might be able to do a whole-body exercise in less than 30 seconds.”

Professor Nosaka

If you’ve been thinking about cancelling your gym membership because you never go, this could be your sign to do so. Just get a heavy dumbbell and do eccentric bicep curls for three seconds per day and say hello to improved muscle strength. That’s not to say it will get your whole body ripped but hey: it’s got to be worth a try…

• Horrific Video Shows What Happens When You Totally Bust Your Biceps
• One Simple Change To Your Bicep Curls Could Accelerate Your Gains

The post Get Ripped With Just 3 Seconds Of Exercise Per Day appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Flying economy is one of life’s greatest pleasures, that no one admits to enjoying. This is because it gives you a rare opportunity to be your absolute worst self, while feeling sorry for yourself the whole time…

Flying economy gets a bad rap. I’m not immune from misjudging it myself either. I’ve spilled countless words bitching about cramped conditions, people reclining their seats while I’m trying to eat, and lewd in flight acts.

Despite all this, I still love flying economy. In fact, I’d even say it’s better than flying business class. I touched on the reason for this earlier this week, when I talked about why watching movies on other peoples’ screens on flights ‘hits different.’

I’m not alone in this belief, with many other people making a similar observation, one even going so far as to say: “I cannot focus on a movie on an airplane unless it is on someone else’s screen…”

The point here is that enjoyment is not always derived from comfort or convenience (otherwise people would just watch movies on their own plane screens), but from simplicity, and a lack of commitment or expectation.

“The variety of entertainment we have at our earlobes at 40,000ft is remarkable. What’s even more remarkable though, is this: despite having our own headsets (and free rein to choose our own movie) many people prefer to watch the latest action flick on someone else’s screen, rather than pick a movie of their own.”

Yours Truly

In business class, however, it’s harder to watch movies on someone else’s screen (it’s weirder, and way more obvious). But beyond that, this concept of simplicity is what I’m really getting at – and the reason why I prefer flying economy to business.

Why? Because you know you are in for a hell of a time, potentially even being treated like trash (or if we’re being generous, cattle), you feel free to completely zone out. You also feel justified in acting like a complete self-serving slob, such is the depths of discomfort and depravity you know you are in for. And let’s be real: who doesn’t get a low-key kick out of complaining and feeling sorry for themselves (and then telling everyone you meet on the other end of the flight about the hellish ordeal you went through as if you just got back from Mordor)?

And if you tell me you don’t enjoy kicking that blanket to the floor (before getting cold and asking for a new one), not quite putting your hand towel properly into the bathroom bin (why would I force it all the way in, risking getting germs on my hand, when I could simply leave the problem for someone else?) or wandering down the back of the plane to ask for some extra chips and biscuits, I simply won’t believe you.

In business class on the other hand, because you are being treated so well, and because you have such mind-blowing features on offer, you feel obligated to put in a good showing as a human (a tough ask, I know). On top of that, because you’ve paid so much (or spunked so many points) to be there, you feel a bit of pressure to really enjoy it, or really make the most of it.

In economy, by contrast, the flight is just a means to an end, and there is a blissful lack of pressure. In fact, your expectations (of both the experience, and yourself) are so low that it’s almost inevitable the trip will be better than you thought. It’s like driving a beat-up car. You couldn’t care less if someone scratches it, or dents it. Flying business class, on the other hand, says you care about yourself and take yourself seriously which, if you ask me, sounds exhausting (I’d rather curl up in a ball for 14 hours and pretend I don’t exist).

Another advantage of flying economy class over business class is the food. Now: I know what you’re thinking – of course the food you get in business class is much better than what you get in economy. But – for me – the goal of a long-haul flight is to spend as much of it in an emotionally void fugue state as I can. I like to pretend I’m Harry Potter living in his broom cupboard under the stairs – to disassociate from the uncomfortable experience and convince myself (and the flight attendants), with noise reducing headphones, a steady stream of podcasts and an illegally downloaded music playlist that hasn’t been updated since 2013, that I don’t exist. It’s not quite transcendental meditation, but it’s close…

On that note: say what you like about stomach-curdling cattle class curries: at least they don’t bring you out of this ego-free zone. In business class, however, the champers and chicken edamame salads periodically spark you awake and alert your anxiety, to the point where you start to worry that if you drop off for a second you’ll miss a plate of golden truffles or something. On top of that, because the service is so good, you feel bad for being antisocial, and feel obligated to take your headphones off and smile each time the cabin crew comes around.

RELATED: Embarrassing Mistakes Business Class Travellers Make When Flying Economy

Next up on my sh*t list is the bar. That’s right, some international business class flights have bars – some even have bathrooms with showers – onboard. Though you might think this is good, it can cause problems. As DMARGE founder Luc Wiesman once discovered, being seated near the bar can suck balls (he claims he was once kept awake for 15 hours by an Australian TV host, who appeared to be attempting to break David Boone’s record for martinis across the pacific, on one business class flight).

On top of that, economy isn’t the only place where bad behaviour is rife, with Mr Wiesman also having his seat stolen by another business class passenger on yet another flight (as well as having the misfortune to notice a nearby passenger fart on another). Without boring you with further examples, the point is this: ‘passenger shaming’ style behaviour isn’t limited to economy.

RELATED: Business Class Passenger Kicked Off Flight After ‘Sneaky’ Act

Also, business class is not an ego-free zone. As the stereotype goes, business class passengers can be a little more snooty, a little more demanding, and a little less patient. Though this is painting with an unfairly broad brush, I personally think there’s something to it. Speaking of which: being separated from your travelling brethren by a sliding door may sound great, but it leads to missed opportunities. I once woke up with a german backpacker’s head on my shoulder, for instance, during an economy flight from Dubai to Australia. Though I clicked on the wrong Facebook profile when they asked if I could enter my details into their phone, I still look back on the experience fondly (we had a nice conversation that probably would never have happened if we were both in business class).

Finally, travelling economy class is less of an invitation to shove tonnes of food and alcohol down your gullet (something which, if you go overboard with, can leave you feeling less than refreshed upon arrival). As one political editor, who “decided to go for the full six-course menu” in first class, once admitted: “My fellow travellers arrived…fresh as daisies for their meetings” while he rocked up “drunk, dishevelled and desperate to nap.”

That all being said, there are a number of hidden benefits to travelling business class that economy passengers don’t often know about, so it’s swings and roundabouts I guess…

• The Biggest Myth People Still Believe About Business Class
• How My First Ever Business Class Trip Ruined Me For Life
• Flight Attendant’s ‘Mile High Club’ Advice Divides The Internet

The post Why I Prefer Flying Economy To Business Class appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Just when you thought the Formula 1 silly season couldn’t get any sillier, German performance car giant Audi has finally confirmed that they’ll be joining the F1 grid in 2026.

This comes off the back of news that fellow Volkswagen Group brand Porsche will also be joining F1, having revealed plans to take a 50% stake in Red Bull earlier in July.

Unlike the Porsche/Red Bull deal, where Red Bull Racing will maintain overall control of the team and Porsche will be more of a powertrain and technical partner, Audi will instead take over the Sauber team entirely, and produce their own powertrain in Germany.

Sauber currently competes in F1 under the Alfa Romeo brand, but it’s just that – a branding exercise. The Audi deal will be a complete factory team situation, like how the Sauber-BMW partnership worked between 2006 and 2009.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1)

Audi had originally negotiated with McLaren about a takeover of team shares, but it seems as if those discussions fell through a while ago.

RELATED: Alpine & McLaren Have Both Screwed Oscar Piastri Over

This also comes after Sauber’s owner Finn Rausing rejected an offer from American outfit Andretti Autosport – one of IndyCar’s most successful teams – to sell the team for €350 million at the end of 2021, motorsport.com reports.

Audi (and Porsche) joining F1 has been on the cards for a while, but it’s really only been in the last six months that we’ve seen anything concrete shape up. In 2026, there will be a new set of technical regulations – including notably different powertrain regulations – which were largely shaped around enticing car manufacturers like Audi to join the sport. Looks like F1’s plans have paid off, then.

More to come.

• Retro Ferrari Formula 1 Photos Show ‘Workplace Safety’ Is A Modern Invention
• Good News, Formula 1 Fans: Australian Grand Prix Confirmed Until 2035

The post Audi Reveals It’s Joining The Formula 1 Grid In 2026 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.