Motorsport Off Topic Thread

They really need to get going if they are going to enter. The move to the hybrid engines was officially announced in 2010 (originally 4 cylinders), and had been discussed for a while before that, so presumably Mercedes had been exploring on their PU implementation for at least 4 years before it hit the track in anger.

While the 2026 engines will lose the MGU-H element, they will still be a massive undertaking for a manufacturer to be developing from scratch if they are to be competitive.

The recent murmurings have been that Porsche will side with Red Bull, and Red Bull are well on their way to establishing their own PU development, hiring staff and are currently building their own factory, with Porsche probably sliding in as the badge for their combined fruits and providing funding towards that*. Porsche themselves had a prototype engine ready enough to be dyno tested in 2019, but who knows if it had any potential or if it's worthwhile carrying any of the ideas over).

Audi meanwhile seem to be wanting to go it alone, separate from Porsche and wanting to be part of a team, potentially partnering with or taking over McLaren (as was prematurely rumoured over the winter).

*Slightly ironic, given Porsche developed the engine that powered McLaren to five titles but was entered as TAG-Heuer.
 
Mr Jack said:
Seems less entering F1 and more buying McLaren.
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Some discussion on Twitter that Porsche will look for a 50% ownership of Red Bull. Audi apparently not as far along as McLaren deal turned down by Zak Brown and the board after discussions were had a couple of months ago. Apparently there will be no inter-brand communication which seems crazy to me if costs can be shared. ANd if one team endfs up doing way better than the other VW will likely step in and demand collaboration on the Engine.
 
The whole VW approach seems a bit odd, Porsche-Red Bull pairing I totally understand given Red Bull's setting up of RB Powertrains and owning the Honda IP, etc - but Audi seem to be suggesting they will pick up the Porsche prototype from a few years back and doing their own engine seems an expensive way of doing it.
 
chrismscotland said:
The whole VW approach seems a bit odd, Porsche-Red Bull pairing I totally understand given Red Bull's setting up of RB Powertrains and owning the Honda IP, etc - but Audi seem to be suggesting they will pick up the Porsche prototype from a few years back and doing their own engine seems an expensive way of doing it.
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I don't believe Honda actually handed over the IP at all in the end. By all accounts Honda themselves are still building and managing the PUs, though perhaps some/all staff are being paid by Red Bull.

Many seem to think Honda are regretting pulling out and may consider getting back in (though probably not until the new regulations).
 
this_is_gav said:
I don't believe Honda actually handed over the IP at all in the end. By all accounts Honda themselves are still building and managing the PUs, though perhaps some/all staff are being paid by Red Bull.

Many seem to think Honda are regretting pulling out and may consider getting back in (though probably not until the new regulations).
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It certainly seems like a good way to 'keep their oar in' if they do want to come back.
 
Group C, for me the finest form of racing and 1989 probably it's absolute peak. Might have posted it before, but this is the best video I have ever seen for immersion and giving you a little taste of just how epic it was. The start, the first run down the chicaneless Mulsane (this was the last time before chicanes arrived) the different sounds and manufacturers. So lucky to have been there to experience it.


This was also the first Le Mans race I went to and I was on the start line for the start (incredible rolling start I still recall, they were all together!!) and for the last 4 hours or so, on top of the old pits right over the winning Mercedes garage. Coached it down and back too from Wolverhampton. Living the dream.
 
this_is_gav said:
I don't believe Honda actually handed over the IP at all in the end. By all accounts Honda themselves are still building and managing the PUs, though perhaps some/all staff are being paid by Red Bull.

Many seem to think Honda are regretting pulling out and may consider getting back in (though probably not until the new regulations).
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Yeah Honda will still be building and supplying engines to Red Bull until 2025.
Thanks to the engine freeze, it costs Honda very little to carry on building and supplying as the major costs are in development.

Only when the new regs kick in will Red Bull build their own engines, unless the rumours that Rex Bull are linking with VW come to fruition.
 
Entai said:
Well it is now official.

From 2026 it will be Red Bull Porsche, with the German company linking up wirh Red Bull Powertrains to build and develop the new engines from 2026 onwards.

Audi yet to confirm who they will be linking up wuth though.

https://www.sportindustry.biz/news/audi-and-porsche-enter-formula-one#:~:text=Porsche would partner with the,run as Red Bull-Porsche.
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That's the same source as here (a presentation in Wolfsburg, which I think is on Youtube, in German) which didn't actually confirm anything, only further hinted at what appears to be the inevitable.

The actual confirmation will come soon no doubt though.
 
First paragraph from article

"German car companies Audi and Porsche have decided to enter Formula 1, according to Volkswagen Chief Executive, Herbert Diess."

Sounds pretty decisive to me, compared to
"are still thinking about"
 
But they've not actually passed the final hurdle. It still needs to be signed off by the board. If you read his quotes then you'll see nothing was actually confirmed.

All of these articles around this week have "confirmed" in their titles, but it's little more than click bait as none of them actually have a quote of him saying anything more than how attractive F1 is and that now is the best time to look into it.

Like I said it's inevitable, but there have been so many false dawns with VW/Porsche in the last couple of decades that until we get within a year or so of them actually hitting the track I'll hold some reservations.

I mean Porsche actually had an ICE on the dyno a few years ago (not just a single cylinder job either, but a full V6) and that came to nothing.
 
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this_is_gav said:
But they've not actually passed the final hurdle. It still needs to be signed off by the board. If you read his quotes then you'll see nothing was actually confirmed.

All of these articles around this week have "confirmed" in their titles, but it's little more than click bait as none of them actually have a quote of him saying anything more than how attractive F1 is and that now is the best time to look into it.

Like I said it's inevitable, but there have been so many false dawns with VW/Porsche in the last couple of decades that until we get within a year or so of them actually hitting the track I'll hold some reservations.

I mean Porsche actually had an ICE on the dyno a few years ago (not just a single cylinder job either, but a full V6) and that came to nothing.
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Yeah, being successful in f1 is not a certainty for them and could well be an expensive embarrassment
 
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