Porsche’s Failed Attempt to Enter F1: 4 Things to Know
Porsche is synonymous with speed and high-end performance vehicles. It’s among the Top 10 most popular luxury car brands in the world and has been involved in motorsports for decades, yet it surprisingly doesn’t have a presence in F1.
In 2022 it appeared as though that was going to change. Reports suggested the German manufacturer was set to join forces with Red Bull, but the partnership needed approval from Volkswagen’s board of directors.
Volkswagen is the parent company of Porsche and Audi, both of which had made it clear they wanted to be involved in F1. Both brands were attending constructors’ meetings, speaking regularly with executives at top F1 teams, and giving opinions on future regulations. Porsche planned to be in F1 by 2026, but it announced in March 2023 that won’t be the case.
The following is a closer look at how and why Porsche’s planned F1 deal fell through and its existing motorsports programs.
Audi Goes in a Different Direction
With F1 introducing new engine regulations for the 2026 season, both Porsche and Audi showed an early interest in joining the circuit. Audi intended on building its own F1 engine and eventually secured a deal to buy a greater ownership stake in the Sauber/Alfa Romeo team, which currently uses Ferrari engines and will continue to do so until 2025. Audi will own 75 percent of Sauber/Alfa Romeo by 2026 in a deal that’s believed to be worth hundreds of millions. It will also cover costs associated with building a new engine facility.
Porsche, meanwhile, didn’t appear interested in building its own engine and instead wanted a majority ownership stake in an existing team. The automaker balked at the idea of creating its own team for the 2025 season due to infrastructure and high costs, but it is believed to have spoken with several teams, including McLaren, about a potential partnership. For McLaren, any deal where they lost name ownership wasn’t worth the limited resources and financial backing Porsche could offer.
Potential Partnership with Red Bull
While a deal with McLaren never really gained traction, a partnership between Porsche and Red Bull seemed like a sure thing in 2022. In the end, Red Bull was unwilling to give up a sizable portion (believed to be at least 50 percent) of its ownership stake to Porsche and was content with its current partnership with Honda. Porsche, in a statement, said it will continue to monitor and explore possibilities to join F1, but this is unlikely to occur in the near future.
“You can’t catch up on that when you join a new team. You need five or 10 years to be among the front runners,” said former Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess in 2022. “In other words, you can only get on board if you have a major rule change. That means you can decide now to do Formula 1 — or then probably not again for 10 years.”
Not Porsche’s First Foray in F1
Although it doesn’t have a storied history in F1, Porsche participated in the circuit from 1957 to 1962 and again in 1991. Porsche’s F1 team competed in 47 races total and made the podium five times. Driver Dan Gurney won Porsche its only championship at the 1962 French Grand Prix. Other notable drivers for Porsche are Edgar Barth, Hans Herrmann, and Jo Bonnier.
As an engine supplier, Porsche partnered with McLaren during the 1980s and won five championships, although it didn’t lend its name to the engine over concerns the venture wouldn’t be successful. However, in 1991, it created the Porsche 3512 V12 engine and partnered with the Footwork-Arrows racing team.
However, the partnership lasted only six races and was a disaster for both parties. At only 670 horsepower and 418 pounds, the Porsche engine was underpowered and overweight and had oil pressure issues. Moreover, engine problems caused drivers Stefan Johansson and Michele Alboreto to retire in multiple races. The Footwork-Arrows switched to a V8 Cosworth engine before the seventh race of the 1991 season in France.
Porsche’s Existing Motorsports Programs
While it waits for another opportunity to join F1, Porsche will continue to focus its efforts on other motorsport events, including Formula E and Le Mans 24 Hours.
Porsche’s Formula E team had four race victories and 11 podiums through its first 50 races and was in first place in the 2022–23 standings with three wins and five podiums as of May 5, 2023.
Porsche is in a class of its own in Le Mans. It has entered the race every year since 1951 and is the only manufacturer to have entered Le Mans for 65 consecutive years. It has also won more races (19) than any other manufacturer and won a record seven consecutive races from 1981 to 1987.
