From the 'MotorSport' website: The rumours are gathering apace: Porsche is to enter Formula 1 from 2021, after purchasing the Red Bull team and making engines fitting to the new formula set to be introduced that year. No one is yet confirming or denying. But it makes a lot of sense. Red Bull might consider that its F1 programme of the last decade has achieved its marketing aims and that it no longer needs the vast expense of running an F1 team (or even two of them). It could continue as a sponsor to the works Porsche team and benefit from that association, but without anything like the same current spend. The rumours have it that the team will continue to be run by Christian Horner from the same base as currently and hopefully still with the same Adrian Newey-led technical team. The team would simply change ownership and acquire proper works engine status from one of the world’s most prestigious automotive brands. Weissach and Milton Keynes would be connected in much the same way as Enstone and Viry currently are for Renault. It would be a fantastic coup for F1 and Liberty to have Porsche on board as a full works F1 team for the first time since 1962 (although it provided the title-winning TAG-Porsches to McLaren 1984-87 as well as the less successful V12 to Arrows in 1991). It would also give Red Bull the potential to return to the title-winning pomp it enjoyed during the frozen spec naturally-aspirated era. Mark Webber, an ex-Red Bull and Porsche driver and who has previously partnered Horner in junior team ownership, could be a link man between the two organisations. Both Brendon Hartley and Neel Jani have Red Bull connections, the former still a Red Bull athlete while the latter was Toro Rosso's third driver in 2006. Red Bull’s Helmut Marko also won Le Mans in a Porsche 917 in 1971.
I saw the same Autosport article...I tend to give them more credence than all the other F-1 sites... but I still cant believe that Porsche would spend all that money and buy a team... especially in F-1. I think for their reputation its much better to be in LMS ... its closer to their products... but I guess Mercedes is in F-1 and they make heavy barges... so perhaps its new thinking at Porsche. I've always equated Porsche with Le Mans and Sports Car racing ... and Ferrari with F-1... even though they have great Sports car credentials as well. My family has been a Porsche owner for over 50 years... and Ferrari for 25... but I'm a Ferrari guy so if Porsche does come into F-1 I'll have to stick with Ferrari... Personally For VW - it would be better for them to come in with either Lamborghini or Bugatti. Bentley ... never was really in F-1 more sports cars. I'd say: Rally - VW / Skoda Formula E - Porsche ( the original Dr. Porsche was a leader in Electric cars in 1900!) LMS / IMSA - Porsche GTS, Bentley for LMP1 / 2 & Lamborghini for Blancpain / GT series. Formula One - Bugatti & or Lamborghini ( Historically speaking I favor Bugatti - they need to be back in racing ) FIM Moto GP - Ducati
I can see Porsche buying Red Bull. Its not that much money. Porsche is a mass market appeal and lends major credibility to the sport for Liberty. Bugatti is not known nor is it mass market. Its a halo specialty car. No longer needed in F1 nor is it viable as a brand in racing vs Porsche. Much like Porsche vs Ferrari in sports-car racing, that transcends well into F1. A nice historical battle. Porsche and Audi represent major motorsport for VAG overall. This is a good idea but much can change before 2020 etc.
IMO from a brand perspective which is why all of them pump money into racing, Porsche or Audi are the more logical choices for F1, Bugatti & Lamborghini just don't make enough money for the VW group to justify the spend on F1 to promote those brands. Porsche & Audi are more known as being part of the VW group & their brands would seriously benefit from any success in F1 in the same way Mercedes as a brand has seriously gained benefit from F1.
Porsche's focus is now on electric cars. Why would they waste money investing in a dying technology like the internal combustion engine? Now if F1 is using FE as the test bed for transition to full electric racing, then I think Porsche would be interested.
Porsche are also currently investing a lot of money in petrol/hybrid cars: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/panamera/first-drives/porsche-panamera-4-e-hybrid-uk-2017-review , and are entering a transitional period - going from purely internal combustion vehicles, eventually to fully electric vehicles one day, so it's in their interest to highlight to world that they are involved with petrol/hybrid technology - Being involved in F1 would do that for them, but they won't want to enter the sport just to be there, they will want to win.
The petrol/hybrid has always been a transitional technology...or at best it will serve as a second level technology for 3rd world countries. Places like Cuba will buy old Prius models, and when the electronic systems die, they will convert them to diesels and run them on peanut oil. The electric car is the socialism of transportation. Of course Porsche will do whatever the EU tells it to do. And in the case of racing, that will be to eliminate all gasoline use asap.
The ICE has another 100 years in it, probably, and the future for massification of electric cars is very spotty, still. No company thinks that far ahead. People will be pouring petrol into their Porsches' tanks for many many years.
EV technology has been stagnant for quite some time. Battery tech has not really improved and the conversion to all EV won't occur until the new form of battery storage is created. Maybe if someone figures out how to actually use graphene we'll see some change.
Not to mention the huge infrastructure hurdles, as well as indirect pollution and geopolitical issues regarding the reserves of national resources used to make batteries.
California recently raised gasoline tax by 12 cents a gallon to help funding. EV cars (heavy) wearing down the roadways without paying into the system via fuel taxes aren't helping. EV owners in Cali will now pay a $100 annual fee starting in 2020 because of that. It was inevitable... http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-gas-tax-increase-political-battle-20171031-story.html
Exactly my point. Politicians have no real interest in science...the electric car (and all the governmental electronic controls it will contain) is Marxist technology. But there are more than enough lemmings in the world to not just allow it, but cheer for it. We are out numbered and we are doomed.
Why would Porsche partner up with Red Bull, Red Bull have just committed huge funds & infrastructure to build their own engines, how & where do you see a partnership?
RB never really wanted to be an engine manufacture. But if they could hold onto the Honda infrastructure for a while, Maybe somebody like Porsche would be willing to take it off their hands So RB could go back to being not an engine manufacture.
I´d be surprised if the deal that Honda made with Red Bull doesn´t forbid putting someone else´s stickers in their engine. At least, that´s what I would do.
I heard the rumors on Sky's F-1 broadcast... but sitll don't see Porsche going into F-1 unless they are being paid. F-1 has no marketing history for them... what are they going to do say back in 1961 we won one race with Dan Gurney, and then supplied the TAG engines and then went with our own engine and it was a giant flop... when they can point to 19 or 20 LeMans Titles? & with cars that look just like what you buy in the show room racing every weekend.... makes no sense. For me the only brand that makes F-1 sense is Lamborghini. Have RB pay the bill, badge the honda engine as a Lamborghini and call it done. emotionally I would want it to be Bugatti but that is never going to happen sadly. I guess you could also do Bentley.... As for Honda leaving .... either they are in or out... assume this time they are out and sell up, and have or are pulling all the tech people back to Japan. they could I guess lease out some of the current engineering team to RB... I don't get Honda's in and out of F-1. when you look at their current cars I think it makes more sense - they are ugly and confusing.... Honda does not know what or who they are... a far cry from the 90's when they were cool and hip.
Most true makers face this situation of identity as you outline for Honda. More tech company now vs 'auto-maker' I think.
If they’re building PU’s that can work in either then it could be remote possibility that they could be engine supplier to F1.
