Aty wrote: ↑3 months ago
Porsche still ‘interested’ in F1 despite failed Red Bull link-up
Porsche are keeping tabs on F1 with the company’s director of motorsport sales Michael Dresier labelling it “an interesting series”. Porsche were in talks with Red Bull about entering F1 for 2026 - when the new engine regulations are introduced. Talks ultimately stalled, with Red Bull opting to build their own power unit in collaboration with Ford. Audi, who are part of the Volkswagen Group like Porsche, will enter F1 in 2026, taking over the existing Sauber (Stake) outfit. Speaking to Blackbook Motorsport, Dresier confirmed Porsche are still interested, but will focus on Formula E and the World Endurance Championship for now. “Motorsport will always be at the core of our brand...
https://www.gptoday.com/details/view/92 ... ll_linkup/
Is Minardi for sale? Brown is pushing for sale of the team to happen. I guess he would favor Andretti over Porsche.
Porsche said long ago they will keep an eye on F1 and I seem to recall them saying it certainly would not happen prior to 2030 at the very earliest, so anything regarding current tems is a bit too early to even think about.
As for Brown I think he is fighting a losing battle and blowing hot air in the case of forcing a sale of Alpha Tauri. My understanding is that part of the renaming of that team is also part of a new positioning of that team. They will no longer be seen as a Red Bull Junior team and wish to compete with their own agenda.albeit as a Red Bull customer team Yes they will no doubt buy many of the Red Bull parts as a result of that relationship, and may share resources. In reality that is nothing illegal or immoral.... As I have mentioned before they are no closer tied beyond having the same owner, than say Ferrari and Haas. Haas use every Ferrari part they can legally do so with. They have a design office within the Ferrari factory at Marinello. They use the Marinello windtunnel I believe, or at least their secondary one. They have many senior Ferrari personell allocated to them, no doubt in a manner that diverts staff away from the Ferrari budget cap. They buy in the exact Ferrari transmission, rear suspension, the complete. drive train, electrical components et al. Does Brown jump up and down about them?
Williams do the same with Mercedes as do Aston Martin. Lets not forget they claims of the Racing Point cars before they changed their name to Aston Martin, in the same way Sauber changed their name to Alfa Romeo. Aston Martin dont own the F1 team, although they share a primary shareholder. Stroll independently is the primary shareholder is both businesses, the same way he is with other corporations in his portfolio.
I mentioned Sauber.... they also buy in as much Ferrari as they can.
McLaren have that same opportunity to buy in half they car from Mercedes. It just so happens that as a customer team of Mercedes
they choose not to. They choose to produce their own gearbox and therefore rear suspension. In reality the manor that McLaren operate as a customer team is the exception to the norm.
Did Brown, or anyone else jump up and down when Tota Wolff was a major shareholder and director of both Williams and Mercedes? No, not even a murmur.
I believe Brown is just anxious that Red Bull, the dominant team of recent years is legally able to share technologies with what is a customer team.... the shareholding iof those teams s immaterial as long as they keep to the rules which no one has ever suggested they dont. Brown is fearful that AT can potentially (legally) buy many of the critical RB components components. They design and produce their own chassis. They have their own design and aero team. Brown is worried of the competition they might be to McLaren.
AT being owned by the same pople as Red Bull never seemed to be an issue when Mercedes were the golden team.
Mark my words there will be teams we see launched over the coming weeks that look more like a Red Bull than the AT does. Thats the way F1 works and always has..... remember when Lotus first came up with the ground effects cars thatwiped the floor., The next year every team had a clone.