Porsche In Formula 1 After Red Bull — What’s Next?

What Formula 1 options does Porsche have after being jilted by Red Bull?

Red Bull Racing has left Porsche jilted at the Formula 1 altar. Grand Prix racing’s potential Formula 1 mega partnership is on the rocks. So, what next for Porsche?

The proposed Red Bull-Porsche deal was supposed to set up a 10 year-partnership with the Stuttgart carmaker taking over the 2022 F1 championship leader’s grassroots engine programme and buying a 50% share of its race team. It was all due to be confirmed at the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

But F1’s governing body, the FIA delayed the final wording of the 2026 power unit regulations that Porsche demanded prior to entering. And oddly enough, a high-powered Honda deputation pitched up at that Austrian race and appeared to woo Red Bull. A short while later, legal documents stating a 4 August wedding date surfaced in Morocco as part of early competition approvals. But that day then came and went.

Red Bull, Porsche Philosophies Simply Never Met

Then Red Bull team boss Christian Horner stressed the importance that any partner should share the team’s philosophy and DNA, as the ‘process of evaluation’ continued. Things became more convoluted when Volkswagen Group sister brand Audi shocked with an unexpected confirmation at the Belgian Grand Prix a month back, that it would be an F1 engine supplier from 2026 F1.

Audi did not make any team announcement, but it cheekily confirmed that its F1 power units would proudly be Made in Germany. And that its new Formula 1 shop is well under way with first bench tests not far off. Now this is indeed a moot point. Porsche’s Red Bull power units would be made in England. Where indeed, Audi’s other future compatriot rival, Mercedes-Benz also makes its Formula 1 units.

Fierce German Nationalism

Now German nationalism is fierce. And it’s even fiercer regionally. There is no secret that there is little love lost between Stuttgart brands Porsche and Mercedes, and Audi subtly calling both out for their Made in England ‘German’ F1 power units, and boasting that its four-ring units really will be Made in Germany, may very well be a far bigger stumbling block in all of this than many give it credit for…

So, while Red Bull sets about building its own engines that may or may not be built by a huge army of poached F1 engineers and experts in England ,with Honda, Hyundai or even Aston Martin badges on their tappet covers, Porsche’s next engine move remains a mystery. As much as how it will handle its Formula 1 team selection remains a moot point. The company has made it patently clear that it needs to adopt an existing outfit to make F1 work.

Porsche does not have a glittering F1 record, bar supplying TAG branded engines to McLaren in the 1980s and winning one Grand Prix with Dan Gurney in France in 1961 (below). Its other, most recent dalliance is not even worth mentioning. But Porsche still wants a hands-on role, more so in fact than Red Bull wanted. And so that dream Red Bull Porsche partnership remains just that. Just a long-lost dream.

Porsche’s F1 Life Without Red Bull

So, what of Porsche’s F1 plans? “In the course of the last few months, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and Red Bull GmbH have held talks on the possibility of Porsche’s entry into Formula 1. The two companies have now jointly come to the conclusion that these talks will no longer be continued. The premise was always that a partnership would be based on an equal footing, which would include not only an engine partnership but also the team. This could not be achieved.”

Porsche has however made it patently clear that its F1 plans are by no means scuppered by the jilted Red Bull talks. “With the finalised rule changes, the racing series nevertheless remains an attractive environment for Porsche, which will continue to be monitored.”

An interesting aside is that Porsche is known to be planning an imminent stock exchange listing, to take the brand public. And that is something that F1 success in one of the biggest shows on earth can only benefit. The only remaining crux is that Formula 1 requires any manufacturer willing to supply power units, to register to do so by 15 October 2022. Which gives Stuttgart precisely a month to that. That’s another moot point, as surely F1 will extend its deadline to accommodate Porsche, if need be.

Red Bull Saga Proves Nothing Can be Taken for Granted

Sister brand Audi is however believed to have already done due diligence on the McLaren, Williams, Aston Martin and Sauber F1 teams with a view to its future investment in one of them. So that info is surely close at hand to Porsche. It is widely expected Audi will take will be Swiss team Sauber, which Alfa Romeo has confirmed will no longer run its branding from 2024. But as the Porsche Red Bull saga has shown, nothing can be taken as given. Still, an Audi Sauber F1 deal appears to be in the offing.

Of the rest of those teams, one of F1’s most famous, Williams has to be of some attraction to Porsche. It is run by Volkswagen Motorsport’s hugely successful multi Championship winning World Rally Team’s former principal Jost Capito. Along with, technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison and sporting director Sven Smeets. Also, investment group Dorilton Capital recently acquired Williams, so taking it over will not come cheap.

Aston Martin is another interesting attraction. A Formula 1 partnership there could also wrest the British firm’s Mercedes road car engine supply away and replace them with Porsche power. And then there’s McLaren, which once won world championships with those TAG-badged Porsche engines. Of course, in the light of the Red Bull fiasco, nothing can be ignored as plausible. So Haas would be an interesting cue, especially considering that team’s valuable to F1 US roots.

What about Andretti or Penske as a Red Bull Replacement?

Talking America, one should never discount the Andretti angle. Michael Andretti is hell-bent on entering F1. That despite significant pressure against an 11th team diluting F1’s current ten-way profit and prize money share. Andretti of course already ran Porsche’s Formula E entry. So, an entente is already on place there.  Andretti is also doing his best to land team IndyCar driver Colton Herta an against the odds F1 seat in 2023. Such an Andretti-Porsche move would literally kill two F1 entry need birds with one stone.

There is one more most intriguing Porsche F1 team possibility out of the US. That’s Penske. A long time Porsche partner, Roger Penske’s Porsche roots go back 50 years. To his incredible Can Am champion 917-30 with Mark Donohue at the wheel. Penske also has unfinished business in F1 after a tragic dalliance n the 70s when Donohue lost his life. Penske has just commenced yet another sports car association with Porsche on its LMDh project commencing at Daytona in January. And Roger is known to want a way back into F1.

Whatever happens, Porsche’s Formula 1 fate should soon be known, as that deadline to register, even if it may slip a little more to accommodate this current dilemma, is looming. But Porsche certainly appears intent to be on the 2026 F1 grid. It just remains to be seen how…

Photos: Porsche, Red Bull, Audi, Mercedes