Porsche is looking for a way back to F1, but its CFO Lutz Meshke says he is only interested in working with “strong partners.”
In May, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess confirmed that Audi and Porsche would enter F1 in 2026, but the exact entry method has not yet been established.
Audi is considering buying an existing team as an F1 team and participating in the race, and Porsche is promoting cooperation with the existing team as an engine supplier.
The team that works with Porsche is widely speculated to be Red Bull Racing, but Porsche CFO Lutz Meshke said he would only work with “strong partners.”
“If we take part in a top-class race, it will be partnering with a strong partner,” Lutz Meshke told faz.net.
When asked about the discussion between Audi and Porsche at the beginning of the season, Red Bull Racing F1 team representative Christian Horner explained that it was “logical.”
“It’s obviously great to say that Volkswagen intends to join F1 as the parent company of both Porsche and Audi,” Christian Horner said in May.
“We will start a new journey as a power unit maker in 2026. Of course, it is logical to discuss potential cooperation.”
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume explained why he was trying to compete in F1 and emphasized the growing popularity of F1.
“Last year, more than 1.5 billion TV viewers watched F1 again,” said Oliver Blume.
“F1 is the sport of most interest”
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess agrees, saying he is seeing significant growth in F1 popularity in the United States.
“F1 is developing very positively around the world,” Herbert Diess said.
“The marketing that takes place there, and Netflix, has significantly increased F1’s followers in the United States.”
“Asia is growing significantly, including a group of young customers. Looking at the world’s major sporting events and events, F1 is the only motorsport focus and is becoming more and more differentiated.”
“If you play motorsport, you should do F1 because it has the biggest impact. You can’t enter F1 unless the technology window opens, which means everyone has to start over from the same place. It is necessary to change the rules. “
“As Markus Duesmann (Audi CEO and former BMW F1 Powertrain Head) has always said, on medium-sized racetracks, just optimizing the details usually takes one second per season. “
“But when you join a new team, you can’t keep up with it. It takes five or ten years to become a front runner, which means you can only join if you make significant changes to the rules.”
“It’s coming. It’s coming in 2026, when the engine will be electrified much more extensively, including synthetic fuels.”
“In other words, it is necessary to develop a new engine, and it takes 3 to 4 years to develop a new engine.”
“That means we’re deciding whether to do F1 now or maybe not for 10 years, and the two premium brands think it’s right and prioritize it.”
Category: Category: F1 / Porsche
