Porsche, Lamborghini back out of F1 2021 deals

Both Porsche and Lamborghini are set to back out of potential entries in Formula 1, with Liberty Media's 2021 reboot of the sport failing to attract new manufacturers to the grid as intended. FIA president Jean Todt has previously claimed that keeping Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda on the grid is a more pressing concern than attracting new marques.

Cheaper and simpler engines were at the heart of a raft of regulation changes Liberty proposed earlier this year, with a view to levelling the playing field and attracting fresh blood to the sport.

However, the teams' dissatisfaction with Liberty's proposals has led to suggestions that the changes will either be less drastic, or cancelled altogether.

Auto Motor und Sport quoted a source from Porsche's parent company WV as saying: "The time for an F1 entry is just wrong."

It is a similar story for Lamborghini, despite former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali serving as its CEO.

"The investment needed just to participate, let alone win, is too high," he told Auto Bild.

"As long as there is a two-class society in F1, it's is not a playing field for us.

"If we get in, we have to be strong and win.

"The priorities for Lamborghini are different. Ferrari was born in racing. Lamborghini was not."

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