Porsche Side Stepping Formula 1 Citing Lack Of Relevance

Porsche opted for a return to top-flight sports car racing over Formula 1 because it has more relevance to road cars according to its head of R&D Wolfgang Hatz.

The firm will enter the top LMP1 sports car racing category in 2014. The car will be a hybrid, and the firm has already said that there has been a technology transfer both ways between the race car and its Porsche 918 Spyder road car that will go on sale later this year as a rival to the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1.



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quizz - 4/23/2013 4:08:20 PM

0 Boost

I couldn't agree more. F1 is pretty awesome, but the technology is so far above what can be used day to day, so it represents more of a vanity pursuit than trickle down technology due to the expense.

PUGPROUD - 4/23/2013 4:30:47 PM

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F1 is a big money sport for filling Bernie's pocket. Its way past its prime...over the top technology, over rated over paid over exposed drivers, over regulated, over the moon greed, overly boring. Was once the best racing in the world but no longer. When passing became nearly impossible and team managers told one driver to let the other team driver win I stopped watching or caring.

Dr550 - 4/23/2013 4:38:18 PM

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F1 needs to reduce the aerodynamic component on the cars. Emphasis should be on engines and driver ability.

MorePower - 4/23/2013 7:21:50 PM

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Translation:

F1 is way too expensive with no proven record of: $$$ + talent = Wins.

Bernie and his dynasty aside, Porsche likes to win and if they don't see a proven way of getting into the winners circle in three to five years, they will not enter.

MorePower - 4/23/2013 7:23:13 PM

+1 Boost

Besides, the only way into F1 is to buy a team. This really only leaves one option, Williams, and aside from their K.E.R.S. tech and racing history, there is no reason to buy them.

rumnyc - 4/24/2013 2:26:41 AM

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ferrari/mercedez/mclaren have road cars with f1 trickle down tech but they also have established f1 programs.

For porsche to enter f1 is a very expensive proposition with certainly of a win anytime soon. f1 is very rigid in terms of the 'formula' i.e. the rules and porsche appears to want greater freedom to innovate in hybrid tech etc.

quizz - 4/24/2013 12:49:32 PM

+1 Boost

That's exactly the problem - the F1 "trickle" down requires that the cars be super expensive, so to the degree ferrari and mclaren "trickle down" the F1 tech to their $200,000+ cars, it is justifiable, but you are not going to see Mercedes trickling down F1 technology to their C-class cars any time soon. No differently, most Porsches sold are in the sub-$150,000 range, so short of the turbo/GT3/GT2, the rest of their mainstream models would not benefit from any advanced F1 tech.