The company’s new Chief Executive Officer, Matthias Mueller, told the aforementioned source that one of the Audi and Porsche brands will compete in the Le Mans LMP1 class in the future, while the other brand will take on the F1 championship.
“With LMP1, there are two classes and two brands - Audi and Porsche. We do not like to both go into LMP1 [against each other]; that is not so funny,” the executive told autocar
“So therefore we have to discuss whether it makes better sense for one of the [two] brands to go into LMP1, and the other brand into Formula 1. So we will have a round-table to discuss the pros and cons,” he added.
The VW Group has been weighing the possibility to become an F1 engine supplier starting with the 2012 or the 2013 season. Now that the Group has integrated the Porsche brand, it could enter F1 with a full program.
Porsche’s last presence in F1 (the company was also an engine supplier) back in 1991, when it was supporting the Footwork team.
An F1 tie would allow Porsche to venture further into the motorsport marketing woods, as this is one of the company’s main directions for its road vehicles. This can only be a good thing, as Porsche understands “racing-inspired models” (such as the 911 GT3 RS) by “marketing”.
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