Minok

From various sources ... Porsche is considering a return to F1.

I'd love to see that, recalling the old Porsche McLaren days from the 80's and being an F1 fan and seeing the sport getting a bit silly now (with some really boring tracks coming online (Bharain, China) and the old, beautiful and challenging tracks constantly being pressured out of participation (Suzuka and Fuji being the current two, the older Hockenheim lap through the forest being another, don't get me started on the Nordschleife).

So as F1 degenerates into nothing but hype and marketing around the event rather than beautiful racetracks like Spa, Suzuka, Monza, maybe having Porsche come back will make it interesting for me to keep watching.

ADias

I do follow F1 closely and I agree that it's a circus with little bearing on production car development (others on this forum, I know disagree, but I digress). Thus Porsche's motorsports efforts should be front-and-center in endurance races and not F1.

Minok

I would agree that endurance races are more in the wheelhouse for what production car drives want in terms of attributes, its still racing with specialized race cars, though some technology does filter down.
The biggest problem with those endurance races is they are just very viewer unfriendly. You have to be a racing junkie to really enjoy and follow that style of racing. You don't get flag-to-flag coverage, its really hard for the casual viewer to follow whats going on with several classes of races running on the track at the same time. I've tried to follow won every now and then and give up.

There is something nice about a self-contained race.

ADias

That's what a DVR/TiVo with quick FR/FF is for.

malammik

From a marketing perspective Porsche probably wants to showcase its leadership in hybrid performance technologies. Since F1 now requires electric motors, advanced battery technology, special energy harvesting brakes, porsche wants to showcase its prowess in that department if Porsche indeed believes they have the edge.

ADias

FYI... 2 articles on PAG's F1 past inroads in the Oct issue of Panorama... does PCA know something?

Mike in CA

F1 has done away with KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems); it has not been allowed since last year. It was expensive and not all teams were able to afford it or wanted to run it anyway.

swajames

As much as I'd like to see Porsche back in F1, I think they're better off keeping out of it. Even the biggest budgets are no guarantee of success in F1, and Porsche runs the risk of underperforming and underwhelming. I'd love to see Porsche compete at this level, it is still the pinnacle of motorsport, but the humiliating exit of BMW after a dismal run in F1 should be enough to remind Porsche that it's probably best to stay away...

Kuhan

KERS is coming back next year.

alexb76

Actually F1 racing is AWESOME if it goes back to how it used to be run, the era of Senna, Prost, Mansell, etc... on racetracks that people CARED ABOUT RACING, instead of the watered down version of today for Bernie Eccelstone to make money off new countries who are willing to BUY their way into the sport without any heritage. Every year he's trying to squeeze more money out of the olders tracks, threatening to cancel Silverstone, Spa, etc... it really makes me sick. I hope he just either quit or retire and hand it over to someone who actually CARES ABOUT THE SPORT!

Still, it's by far the best racing series in the world and Porsche involvement would be great, albeit, they won't really succeed unless they partnered up with an already good team.

@ Tony, I think we debated HOW MUCH technology trickled down from F1 and let's agree to disagree on that!

ADias

I just can't agree on a Bernie Ecclestone death wish. Totally uncalled for.

alexb76

Just kidding! I hope he just gets out and retires already!

BTW, the latest is that Audi will be the brand in F1, and Porsche will focus on LeMans!

http://www.mibz.com/24100-volkswagen...formula-1.html

Kuhan

If there's a VAG brand that would benefit from F1 success, it's Lamborghini. If a Lambo is trouncing the Fezzas on the race track, more people will buy them.

ADias

Interesting idea. If VAG wants to enter F1, I hope any VAG brand other than Porsche carries the flag. At the end of the day Porsche will be involved through Weissach.

Let's recall that PAG is a consulting engineering firm (Weissach) first and foremost; they just make cars on the side. Weissach is deeply involved in R&D for VAG and many other manufacturers. If VAG enters F1, Weissach will design it but PAG will not risk not being #1 in F1.

alexb76

Racing brands will be Audi and Porsche, no other VAG brand. They're still deciding which brand will compete in Le Mans and which one in F1.

PS. I heard there's gonna be a Lambo car (not sure if factory sponsored) racing in GT category in American LeMans!