Porsche representatives, among others, were seen attending a Formula 1 engine meeting earlier this year, sparking rumors that the brand was planning a return to the sport. Now, the manufacturer’s deputy chairman, Lutz Meschke, has confirmed that Porsche is interested in joining the sport in 2021.
“F1 could be one of the right places,” Meschke told Motorsport.com. “As you know Formula E is very important for us now, and F1 is always a good topic to think about. And I think we are in quite good discussions regarding the new engine.”
Meschke’s comments came at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, where F1’s leadership met with him.
Porsche is looking for opportunities to race following the announcement that it will stop racing in the World Endurance Championship, the series that races the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the end of this year.
That decision came following a season where Toyota was its only competition. The series is notoriously expensive but doesn’t provide the same sponsorship opportunities as F1.
The brand later announced that it would be entering a full, factory-backed team in Formula E, the preeminent open-wheel all electric racing series.
Porsche will not, however, enter a full team in F1. According to Motorsport.com, it’s only interested in making engines for F1, something it would start doing in 2021.
Thanks to Porsche’s extensive racing experience, there are a number of teams that could potentially stuff engines into their cars. Porsche has already worked with Williams and McLaren and the VW Group and Red Bull also have a healthy relationship.
Formula 1 also sounds excited about Porsche joining the sport. “As the individual who kind of runs marketing and branding at F1 the inclusion of Porsche, which is a heritage racing brand in our sport, would be highly valued,” said F1 commercial boss, Sean Bratches.
[source: motorsport.com]
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