F1 News: Porsche offer significant entry update as iconic brand's stance made clear

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Porsche offer significant F1 entry update as iconic brand's stance made clear

Porsche claim they are no longer focused on joining the F1 grid

Jay Winter

Wednesday 14 August 2024 11:57 Updated: 16:32

Porsche have offered an update on their plans to return to Formula 1 after a previous deal with Red Bull failed to materialise.

Porsche’s path back to F1 appeared promising when discussions with Red Bull Racing began in 2022, with a proposed deal that would have seen Porsche acquire a 50% stake in both the Red Bull team and its new powertrain division.

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However, the partnership collapsed in September 2022, with Porsche stating that the talks between the two companies had ended.

At the time, Red Bull's Christian Horner explained that the fit between the two brands was not quite right with the direction his team were going in.

Following the breakdown of negotiations, Red Bull secured a partnership with Ford for the 2026 season, while Audi announced its intent to enter F1 as an engine supplier, eventually taking full control of Sauber.

Porsche were close to linking up with Red Bull from 2026

Will Porsche ever enter F1?

Now, Porsche’s vice president of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach has confirmed that the company's aspirations to enter F1 once again have come to an end.

Laudenbach’s comments are the first official statement from Porsche regarding their F1 ambitions since the 2026 regulations were fully unveiled in June, effectively putting to rest any hopes of seeing the legendary marque back on the F1 grid.

Describing the situation as “a closed chapter,” Laudenbach made it clear that F1 is no longer on Porsche’s radar.

Former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel enjoyed testing Porsche's WEC car

“It is off the table: right now F1 is not a task for us, and we are not spending any energy on that,” he stated, as quoted by motorsport.com.

Instead, Porsche is concentrating on its current motorsport commitments, which Laudenbach described as “nearly the perfect fit for the brand.”

Porsche’s decision comes more than 30 years after its last involvement in F1, where it served as an engine supplier for Footwork in 1991.

Focus on current motorsport portfolio

Laudenbach emphasised that Porsche is fully committed to its existing motorsport endeavours, which span a broad spectrum of racing disciplines.

“We are engaged in customer racing from track days, GT4, one-make series up to professional GT racing [in GT3],” Laudenbach explained.

Additionally, Porsche remains a key player in the world of endurance racing through its participation in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship with the 963 LMDh in partnership with Penske.

Red Bull and Porsche were close to joining forces

Crucially, Porsche is also heavily involved in Formula E, reflecting the brand’s commitment to electrification.

“The third part, since electrification of our brand is very important, is our engagement in Formula E, which is the only full-electric series on a high level,” Laudenbach noted.

This diverse motorsport portfolio, according to Laudenbach, leaves Porsche “well-occupied and extremely happy” with its current activities, negating the need to pursue an F1 entry.

With Porsche now officially closing the door on an F1 return, the motorsport world will continue to watch the brand’s progress in other racing series where it remains a dominant force.

F1 Red Bull Audi Perez Porsche