Should Porsche enter Formula 1?

[matthewb0051]

Just a question given the proven success at Le Mans

[KNS]

Stick with endurance/sports cars.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by KNS

Stick with endurance/sports cars.

^^^this. F F1

[Fixer]

I think if they wanted to they could dominate but it's very costly.
That is probably why they gave up after a lackluster attempt back in the day.
Remember when the Cayenne was on the drawing board and all factory racing stopped.
Porsche seems extremely frugal (not so much now).
Ferrari was said to build/sell cars to race, Porsche raced cars to sell more cars.

[Lapkritis]

No. Huge waste of money... If I had to guess, they've done the market analysis and their average buyer today doesn't give a hoot about Porsche in F1 or not.

[Jack Stands]

Since the current F1 cars are basically running hybrid propulsion systems with energy regeneration, it may be helpful in advancing technology. However, I think the expenditure necessary to compete against Mercedes and Ferrari couldn't really be justified to a corporate board.

I'd agree that most of Porsche's customers couldn't care less about F1.

[Reiver]

No.
Too expensive, too political, and they change the rules often enough to disrupt any continuity in development as it relates to street machines.
This has never been Porsche's forte.

[McLaren-TAG]

Few thoughts on the topic

-A top LMP1 team spends more than a mid field F1 team.

-Your average Porsche customer doesn't give a crap about LMP racing the same way they don't give a crap about F1. If you're in this site, you're not the average Porsche customer

-Porsche wouldn't come in and immediately rule the roost in F1, it would take a multi year commitment and a willingness to stick with it. Mercedes is showing what can be done but they started out sucking wind even having bought into an existing WDC team.

-I guess it's a case of the devil you know, but it's been discussed plenty, maybe not Porsche per se but Lamborghini, VW, Audi, Porsche there's no lack of representation.

-The entirety of the new engine regulations were brought in to try and give Audi/VW what they were looking for and lure it into the sport as a manufacturer. Also having the same base engine for WRC and F1

[RDM]

Originally Posted by The Fixer

Ferrari was said to build/sell cars to race, Porsche raced cars to sell more cars.

1. Historically, Porsche has made money on racing not only by selling more street cars, but by selling race cars to customers. I don't see how that model can work in F1.

2. However much money Porsche might have to spend on F1, Mercedes will have more. And while Porsche engineers are smart, so are Mercedes engineers and they've been doing F1 for decades.

3. Endurance racing fosters both the values (patience, thoroughness) and the image (indestructible) that are integral to Porsche. F1 is a sprint race where patience is not a virtue and the car is built to last only as long as the warranty- I mean the race.

So, because of the economics, the low likelihood of success, and the general inapplicability of the culture and lessons of F1 to the company, I would have to say no.

[Flashoir]

Originally Posted by McLaren-TAG

Few thoughts on the topic
-Your average Porsche customer doesn't give a crap about LMP racing the same way they don't give a crap about F1. If you're in this site, you're not the average Porsche customer

Maybe so for the 'average' customer but every other car in the Le Mans camp site this year seemed to be a Porsche. There was huge owner support for the marque.

I totally agree with the above though that LMP much better reflects the values of the Porsche brand than F1 does. I would hate to see Porsche flush a load of cash down the F1 toilet when they're doing so well at the moment.

[twistoffat]

No way. Formula 1 is toooooooo Boring.

[Fixer]

Originally Posted by twistoffat

No way. Formula 1 is toooooooo Boring.

Not if you're behind the wheel

[Rufian]

It is Booooooring!!.....more so now that it is quieter.....

[Nachtfalter]

F1 is lame.

[88911coupe]

In a word...no. Too expensive and HUGE drain on resources. BTW, I am a HUGE F1 fan. Can't wait for the race in Austin! Went last year two years and had a blast.