Word of a possible Porsche entry to Formula 1 has been percolating for years. Porsche executives teased a possible entry as far back as 2010. The decision to join was confirmed in April, when VW Group’s supervisory board approved plans for Porsche and Audi’s potential entry to F1.
In May, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess said Porsche had already started developing an F1 engine. Blume will replace Diess as VW Group CEO on Sept. 1. Blume will retain his Porsche CEO role.
U.S., China boom
“We assume that in 2026, 2028, [F1] will still be the biggest motorsport spectacle in the world, even more so than today,” Diess said at the time. “It [will be] bigger in China, bigger in the United States. And with that, also the largest marketing platform for premium vehicles.”
In June, Red Bull racing became the focal point of the discussion. During an interview with Bloomberg TV, Christian Horner, the chief executive officer of Red Bull Racing Ltd., said he welcomed Porsche and Audi to join F1 and that it was “logical” for Red Bull to entertain the idea of a partnership.
“It’s fantastic that they are talking about coming into Formula 1,” Horner said. “[The] Porsche brand is particularly iconic. It would be logical to hold conversations with them after declaring their intent to enter the sport.”
New engine requirements
Such a deal would take advantage of F1’s plans to update engine requirements in 2026. The changes would allow teams to increase the electrical power generation of the current V-6 hybrid turbo engines and run their race cars on synthetic fuels that would reduce toxic emissions.
The rule switch presents a rare opportunity for teams such as Porsche to join a sport that Mercedes has dominated in recent years.
A partnership with Red Bull Racing would not be Porsche’s first foray into F1. The Stuttgart, Germany-based brand competed in F1 races from 1957 through 1964; the American driver Dan Gurney won the team’s only F1 victory of that era at the 1962 French Grand Prix before the team withdrew because of the high cost of competing.
Porsche returned to F1 in 1983 as a supplier of V-6 turbo engines to the McLaren team; the Porsche-powered McLarens won constructor championships in 1984 and 1985, as well as 25 individual victories from 1984 to 1987, led by 19 wins from Alain Prost and six from Niki Lauda before the brand exited the series for a second time.
In 1991, its most recent year of involvement, Porsche supplied engines for a little-known team called Footwork Arrows. The team failed to score a point that season and ultimately switched to a different engine provider.
A final confirmation from Porsche about how and when it will join F1 remains delayed following reports that it would happen at the Austrian Gran Prix on July 10. Porsche officials say the FIA World Motor Sport Council must give final approval of the new engine requirements before they will divulge specifics of their entry to the series.
