Porsche Looking At F1

[Insider 0]

As I mooted some months ago, the VW group are moving closer to F1 involvement. Who will they buy though?

Source:http://www.totalf1.com/full_story/view/354473/Porsche_looking_at_F1/

[HandyNZL 1]

No one, and they won't build their own team either...I reckon all of this is very much speculative.

[subiedude 0]

I suspect VW/AUDI/Porsche group will opt to be an engine supplier instead. They know that running an entire F1 team is a huge cost with dubious return. They watched BMW dump huge sums and came up empty. This is what they did in the past with the TAG motors which were dominant for many years plus they have a nearly unmatched experience in turbo motors.

[JHS 1]

I suspect VW/AUDI/Porsche group will opt to be an engine supplier instead.

Yeah, that.

I'd be delighted if they actually joined as a manufacturer outfit rather than just engine supplier, but I doubt that would be the case.

There's rumours Williams and Porsche could team up though, but we'll see...

[Argento Reloaded 1]

Despite their long business relationship VW and Porsche were different co. till last year so don´t play with my heart porsche will never come back to F1 since it doesn´t exists any more! Let´s wait a couple of years and will see some VW rebadged with porsche logo as FIAT did with Alfa Romeo. The result? take a close look to an Audi A3 and VW Golf...

RIP Porsche.

[cristiano84 0]

As a PR I'd suggest they'd rather chose to build a full team as Porsche main rival (Ferrari) has got a full team (and one with a lot of history behind), so, from a marketing point of view that would sound logical.

As Audi they'd probably go for an engine supply, which is less fascinating but more likely for the brand. Main market rivals Mercedes and Bmw both entered F1 as engine suppliers and despite the first marque has now built its own team (but we must not forget that this is to be considered a revival of the 1950s squad), the latter had decided to keep the Sauber name when they bought the Swiss outfit.

But, as everyone knows, F1 is not often as logical as it seems.

[Eric 0]

Red Bull and VWAG have a nice relationship.

It's also worth nothing that VWAG will enter F1 and sports cars again, with one going to Audi and one going to Porsche. There's no specification as to which will be in F1; it could well be Audi instead. Of course, both Audi and Porsche have new LMP1s (Audi for 2011, Porsche for 2012), so I have no idea which would be more logical.

I'll guarantee at least one poster on the forum for the network that broadcasts F1 in North America will speculate Penske involvement (which has 0.00% chance of ever happening), and hundreds of others will believe it, and Robin Miller will report it, and legions of U.S. racing fans will be convinced that Penske is starting a front-engined Porsche F1 team with Will Power and Graham Rahal as drivers, and will somehow accuse the FIA of xenophobia when they find out there was no intention of Penske to ever enter F1 and that Porsche/VWAG, like every other company, can function completely normally without Roger Penske, who does not walk on water, is not the best team owner in the world, is not as rich as they think he is, and is not as honorable/trustworthy/heroic as they want him to be.

Though I guess if Carlos Slim really is going to get involved with Sauber this year after decades of talk, Penske will join, and David Coulthard will win the WDC.

[HandyNZL 1]

Well Slim is, so looks like next year will finally be DC's year.

[Insider 0]

Is it possible that Sauber may end up with all baubles including a Porsche or Audi lump?

[HandyNZL 1]

Peter is a pretty shrewd operator....so...you never know.

[Persevere 0]

For all the talk (subterfuge?) you would have to think some entity from the group will be making the leap, at some level, in the not too distant future. How's that for definitive?

And D.C. is the obvious hands down favorite for the 2011 WDC.

Argento: I hear you, my friend, and feel your pain.