We all know Porsche is making a much heralded return to LMP1 racing in 2014, with an assault on outright victory at Le Mans in June being the highlight.
However, under different circumstances Porsche might have been readying itself for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend. Indeed once Porsche had decided to return to top-line motorsport talk of an F1 return was discussed openly inside Porsche back in 2010.
Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche research and development boss, explains: “There were only two options—F1 or LMP. But Le Mans is our second home.
“What could have influenced it was if someone in the group had said ‘Yes, but Audi is there and you cannot compete with Audi’.
“If someone from senior management had said this is not possible, we would have had no other alternative [but F1].”
Porsche has committed to a three-year program with its LMP1 operations. A decision on any longer-term future is expected to be made in 2015.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s Porsche competed in F1 with a factory-backed team without any real success. Dan Gurney managed three second places in 1961 and a single third place finish in 1962.
Success was achieved in the role of engine supplier under the McLaren-TAG arrangement in the mid 1980s when Niki Lauda and Alain Prost won the drivers’ world championship in 1984 and 1985 respectively. McLaren won the constructors’ championship in both years as well.
Porsche last supplied F1 engines in 1991 to the Footwork Arrows team. Results were poor and the team swapped over to Ford engines part way through the season.
[Source: Autosport]
