Written by Andrew Lwanga, Edited by Esmée Koppius
German car manufacturers Porsche and Audi could be eyeing up a potential entry into Formula 1 in the near future. Porsche has had a constant presence in various motorsports for the better part of a century with the notable exception being Formula 1, this however might change in the near future.
Earlier this year Porsche Motorsport’s Vice President Fritz Enzinger said a potential entry into Formula 1 would be entirely dependent on the new engine regulations set to take effect from 2025.
“It would be of great interest if aspects of sustainability – for instance, the implementation of e-fuels – play a role in this,” Enzinger said. “Should these aspects be confirmed, we will evaluate them in detail within the VW Group and discuss further steps.”
Similar to Porsche, Audi who, although much younger than Porsche, have enjoyed a similar presence and success in multiple Motorsports with wins in Le Mans, DTM and the infamous Quattro in the WRC, however they’ve never been featured in the pinnacle of motorsport.
It is worth stating that both Audi and Porsche are owned by the same parent company Volkswagen. However this hasn’t stopped the two sister manufacturers from entering the same series and competing against each other, as recently as 2016 Audi and Porsche were both in the LMP1 class of the World Endurance Championship.
Later this week the heads of several Formula 1 teams will meet in Austria to discuss the future engine regulations. Present at the meeting will be Olla Kallenius (of Daimler, who own a third of the Mercedes Formula 1 team) Luca De Meo (CEO of Renault, Alpine’s parent company) John Elkann (Chairman of Ferrari) and other heavy hitters including Stefano Domenicali, Ross Brawn and Jean Todt.
Also present at the meeting though will be Oliver Blume and Markus Duesmann the CEOs of Porsche and Audi respectively.
Hopefully the 2025 engine regulations will play a positive role on the entry of Audi and the return of Porsche into Formula 1.
A little bit of trivia for you, Porsche has raced and won a race in Formula 1 as a works team, which one?
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