Porsche ready to evaluate F1 return

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From autosport.com:
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 1st 2010, 10:22 GMT

Porsche is to seriously evaluate a return to Formula 1, its new chairman Matthias Mueller has revealed at the Paris Motor Show on Friday.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT's sister publication Autocar, Mueller said he expected his company's motorsport activities - which encompasses Porsche and Audi through its tie-up with the Volkswagen Group - to include both top-level sportscars and F1 in the near future.

He made it clear that he expected either Porsche or Audi to have an LMP1 car in the future - while the other brand would then enter F1.

Audi has competed in the Le Mans prototype class since 1999 and is working on a new car - the R18 - for 2011. Porsche ended its factory sportscar programme in 1998 - though it did produce the LMP2 RS Spyder for customer teams from 2005 onwards - and would be the logical choice for a return to F1 for the first time since 1991.

"With LMP1, there are two classes and two brands - Audi and Porsche. We do not like to both go into LMP1 [against each other]; that is not so funny," Mueller told Autocar's website.

"So therefore we have to discuss whether it makes better sense for one of the [two] brands to go into LMP1, and the other brand into F1. So we will have a round-table to discuss the pros and cons."

Porsche's entry to F1 would most likely be as an engine supplier, rather than having a whole team. It would also make most sense for the company to enter the sport in 2013, when all-new engine regulations are set to be introduced.
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Sounds good! 👍 I'm kinda torn on this one - though I'd love to see Porsche return to Le Mans as a factory team, on the other hand the thought of Porsche again developing a turbocharged F1 engine gives me goose bumps! :drool:

So, what are your thoughts?
 
Perhaps they could team up with Red Bull as VW is already a sponsor, although I'm not sure what their relationship with Renault is like as far as engines goes.

They weren't messing around when they said they were going to up their motorsports activities after the merger. It seems now Audi, Porsche or VW are at least rumored to be interested in most of the worlds major forms of motorsports.
 
Justin
Perhaps they could team up with Red Bull as VW is already a sponsor, although I'm not sure what their relationship with Renault is like as far as engines goes.
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Hmm, Red Bull-Porsche...I like the sound of that! :D
 
I don't think they're a sponsor. More of a supplier; VW provides the team transports. Porsche are more likely to enter as an engine supplier rather than a team in their own right.

However, one thing I wouldn't object to seeing is Jacques Villeneuve buying Toro Rosso, with Porsche supplying the engines and being given naming rights to become the de facto works team like the McLaren-Mercedes relationship, so it would be Villeneuve Porsche.
 
I like the sound of that!

I'll be keeping an eye on this, that's for sure. 👍
 
That sounds like a team that I can fully support.
 
interludes
I don't think they're a sponsor. More of a supplier; VW provides the team transports. Porsche are more likely to enter as an engine supplier rather than a team in their own right.
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VW supply F3 engines for the Red Bull-backed drivers. At least, I do remember Daniel Ricciardo racing with VW engines last year. It was rumoured for a while that VW were interested in supplying engines to bigger series, potentially F1. So this news comes as no surprise.
Audi already supply engines for FPA (Formula Palmer Audi) and Formula 2.

It probably won't be as a factory team, more likely engine supply. As said above, Red Bull are easily the most obvious team to go for this option. Williams too, considering that Porsche use and collaborate with Williams on their flywheel KERS system. So, a Porsche engine+Williams KERS+Williams gearbox package?
 
Ardius
It probably won't be as a factory team, more likely engine supply. As said above, Red Bull are easily the most obvious team to go for this option. Williams too, considering that Porsche use and collaborate with Williams on their flywheel KERS system. So, a Porsche engine+Williams KERS+Williams gearbox package?
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Sir Frank did offload a fair whack of his team to an Austrian investor a while ago. He's not going to be with us forever, an I can't imagine that he's going to stay in the sport much longer. He, too, may be looking to secure Williams' future with a McLaren-esque arrangement to preserve the Williams name, but he'll be wary of the BMW Sauber years. He won't want to retire and then see the team in chaos as a manufacturer backs out. But an unofficial Williams Porsche factory team could be another viable prospect.
 
Williams would never be a factory effort, thats why the BMW relationship turned sour. (have we so easily forgotten why BMW went to Sauber in the first place? Frank will remember 2005, not 2009 ;))
Frank will be looking to secure a manufacturer-backed engine supply like he had in the Honda and Renault days. Where the manufacturer carries out the development of the engines but doesn't tell him what to do. He would never let his team go the way of McLaren, as he knows all too well what happens to manufacturer-run or owned teams. (though McLaren is possibly looking to end the Mercedes partnership in future)

I also don't think VAG want the costs involved with running a factory or even semi-factory team. Engine supply is far more profitable both in marketing and actual profit.
I'm fairly certain we will see a return of the old days of privateer-dominated entries, with manufacturers returning to engine supply. Or rather, thats how I would prefer to see it. Manufacturers are the ones that come in with the big spending, at least with indepedent race teams they know how to manage themselves properly and run on a budget.
 
Then how would he preserve the Williams name if not allying with a manufacturer? Eventually, the Williams name will die out, but if he stays with a marque, he preserves it.
 
McLaren did just fine without Bruce McLaren. Ferrari did just fine without Enzo Ferrari.
Williams have groomed Adam Parr and Sam Michael for a reason. They are going to carry the Williams name forwards, the last thing you want to do if you want to keep the Williams name is bring in a manufacturer! Manufacturers are more than likely to leave the sport, and usually demand being part or the whole of the team name.

Why do you think manufacturer backing is a good idea for long-term security? Has any manufacturer really proven this? Renault and Honda have been in and out of the sport constantly. Mercedes have only recently become long term, but there is no guarantee because they are tied by their car sales. If car sales aren't so great, the first thing to axe to help costs is a F1 operation.

Hopefully Peter Sauber has also learnt from this (though I thought he would know better, as much as Mario Theissen wanted to stay in the sport, its not his decision).

In some ways, Williams is better off sticking to the Cosworth engine supply, as its always going to be around.
 
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Ardius
Hopefully Peter Sauber has also learnt from this (though I thought he would know better, as much as Mario Theissen wanted to stay in the sport, its not his decision).
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BMW fell apart because of the recession. If it weren't for the subprime mortgage crisis, they probably would have stayed. Having a bad car didn't do much for them.
 
Maybe Porche can supply engines for Lotus next year... Too soon?
 
Peter
Maybe Porche can supply engines for Lotus next year... Too soon?
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I think the best move would be to wait for the new engine regulations to come in.

Besides, Lotus are in negotiations with Renault to be supplied by their engines. That is why they ended their agreement with Cosworth.
 
interludes
BMW fell apart because of the recession. If it weren't for the subprime mortgage crisis, they probably would have stayed. Having a bad car didn't do much for them.
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Sure, thats why they chose to spend money on GT and Touring car programmes instead :p.
But thats my point anyway - as I said, they are tied to car sales, if their car sales fall, they will easily decide to pull the plug on any F1 operation. Some of them don't even try to help the team continue (Toyota).
There are many things that can happen to manufacturers, just because they have big money doesn't mean they always have enough for F1. Its very difficult to convince management that motorsport is really worth the money when they are struggling for cash, after all, for them its merely a marketing exercise, they have no other reason to really keep a team going.
Essentially, selling your team to a manufacturer is setting its destiny to eventually collapse or to struggle.

Peter
Maybe Porche can supply engines for Lotus next year... Too soon?
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Way too soon. They have only said they might be interested and only in the new regulations in 2012 (1.6 V6 Turbo engines). It also depends on what happens with Group Lotus - as Group Lotus are direct competitors to Porsche.
 
Here's something interesting I found reading the Car Magazine website, since Porsche has a new CEO charged with integrating Porsche into the Volkswagen Group they are apparantly re-thinking their entire motorsport strategy to streamline it with the rest of the Volkswagen brands with some potentially positive consequences.

Porsche considering full factory F1 and Le Mans teams
By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

06 October 2010 09:22


New Porsche CEO and president Matthias Muller is weighing up a review of Porsche’s motorsport activities – and claimed the sports car brand could re-enter Le Mans with a full factory team, or even F1.

Muller was appointed on 1 October 2010 and has lots on his plate: he’s a VW veteran and is charged with integrating Porsche smoothly into the Volkswagen business empire as Wolfsburg ratchets up its ownership of Porsche. That integration includes motorsport, he told CAR at the 2010 Paris motor show.

Porsche: entering Le Mans… or F1!
Muller said racing was core to the Porsche DNA and that he was working on the sport strategy with his group colleagues. They see little point in competing head to head with dominant Audi in the LMP1 class at Le Mans, for instance, but would consider racing at La Sarthe if Audi changed its strategy.

‘There are two classes at Le Mans and there are two brands – Audi and Porsche,’ said Muller. ‘We do not want to both go into LMP1 as we have to discuss whether it makes sense for one of us to compete in LMP1 and the other go into F1.’

Porsche in Formula 1. Whatever next?
‘If VW won the Dakar next year for the third time maybe it’s time for us to do it,’ added Muller, immediately sparking images of 959s and race-specials in this reporter’s eyes.

It’s clear that Volkswagen’s masterplan is not to have inhouse brands competing in the same race series; in a very Germanic, logical worldview, they would rather have each brand racing and winning in separate programmes.

Muller added that Porsche’s motorsport activities were profitable. ‘We earn money through our motorsport business through private customers.’
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Please discuss.:)
 
Oops, thought it might be news as it just appeared today on the Car Magazine site.
Should have used the search button instead of assuming this was actually news not being discussed somewhere else already.
I wholeheartedly apologize for this obvious mistake on my part.:ouch:

Could it perhaps be merged?

Edit, thanks.
 
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