Amid Porsche’s revived interest in one day entering the Formula 1 circus, an entry from the Stuttgart-based brand can’t come at the expense of its other motorsport activities.
“Motorsport will always be at the core of our brand identity,” Porsche’s Director of Motorsport Sales Michael Dreiser recently told Blackbook Motorsport.
“Formula 1 remains an interesting racing series for us.”
Porsche and F1 have crossed paths before, most recently in 1991. But many would arguably have forgotten the manufacturer’s less-than-successful results powering minnows Footwork.
In stark contrast to the Footwork partnership, the TAG-Heuer badged V6 water-cooled turbo-engines engines engineered by Porsche helped power McLaren to three consecutive world titles from 1984 to ’86.
The German auto company also had its own Porsche Works team, which ran from 1957 to 1964, with American racing legend Dan Gurney picking up the team’s only win behind the wheel of the gorgeous Porsche 804 at the 1962 French Grand Prix in Rouen.
In 2022, Porsche looked close to a deal that would have seen it partner with Red Bull for the 2026 season and beyond, but that fell through when the Milton-Keynes-based squad baulked at the idea of relinquishing 50% of its operation.
After talks of a McLaren reunion also cooled, Porsche left it to sister brand Audi to fly the flag for the Volkswagen Group in 2026 via its impending Sauber (Stake, or Kick) takeover in 2026.
But F1’s loss regarding Porsche has been the rest of international motorsport’s gain and whilst the idea of the brand entering F1 at some point is an enticing one, it would be a shame if it were to jeopardise the rest of its programmes.
Take Audi for instance – in preparation for entering F1 in 2026, it has pulled out of all of its other motorsport commitments including, but not limited to its former Formula E squad and a proposed LMDh programme and it is understood to be pulling out of competing in the Dakar, despite finally winning the rally for the first time this year with Carlos Sainz.
Audi has a long and rich history in multiple disciplines of motorsport and it’s sad to see a large majority of it stop in its tracks for the sake of F1.
It goes without saying that F1 is oft-regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport, but is it the be-all and end-all?
As well as this, there’s no guarantee that Audi’s F1 project will be a success given the fierce competition.
Audi is risking a lot for the slim chance of F1 triumph and if Porsche were to go down the same route the impact could be huge.
Porsche’s presence in the wider motorsports world is vast – from its instantly recognizable Carrera Cup series to its involvement in the FIA Formula E World Championship and its new LMDh programme, which sees it run multiple works entries in the top classes of both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA, along with supplying multiple customer teams as well.
The Porsche 911 is a mainstay in GT racing, with works and customer entries covering practically every corner of the racing globe and it’s almost as if the brand holds a responsibility to the wider motorsports community to keep its finger in as many pies as possible.
To assume Porsche would adopt the same approach to F1 as Audi is doing if and when it chooses to enter the upper echelons of single-seater racing might be jumping to conclusions.
For now, here’s hoping Porsche sees F1 as a mere possibility rather than probability.
