Photo: Porsche
Like a kid who was left alone in the sweet shop while the father went to the newsstand to check the headlines, Porsche is apparently about to come running after Audi in Formula E starting two seasons from now.
It may be too much to talk about a case of the Stockholm Syndrome for Porsche, but it does seem like the Stuttgart-based company is missing its Le Mans battles with Audi. And since the latter grabbed its toys and moved over to the Formula E playground, it gave Porsche no other option that to do the same.
Nothing is set in stone right now. Porsche has not made any official statement regarding its future in motorsport, but with rumors of its Le Mans project getting the ax at the end of the 2017 season, Formula E looks as if it's the most likely destination.
It may seem ridiculous to cut a program at its prime, after three consecutive wins, but with the direction Volkswagen AG is taking right now, it's starting to look as if it's all hands on deck for the development of electric vehicles. Or at least that's what the company would like us to think.
Porsche has shown interest in Formula E before when it competed to become the battery supplier for the series. In the end, it lost to McLaren Applied Technologies, but it kept monitoring the series regardless.
Last month, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and LMP1 team principal and technical chief Andreas Seidl met with Formula E boss, Alejandro Agag during the Monaco race weekend. "We received an invitation [to Monaco] from Alejandro Agag to have a look and experience Formula E for the first time," Seidl commented on the meeting, talking to Autosport. "We just had an invitation to an interesting series, though maybe there are not enough technical freedoms yet."
It is believed Porsche plans an entry beginning with season five when the competition intends to ditch the current car swap and complete the entire race in just one go. Other changes to the format that would give the series more "technical freedom" are also considered.
Porsche officials were also present at the Berlin ePrix at the start of the month, allegedly to gather more information on what it took to enter the competition. The team is expected to sort out its future in the World Endurance Championship by the end of this year, and depending on the outcome, we might learn more about its possible Formula E involvement.
Nothing is set in stone right now. Porsche has not made any official statement regarding its future in motorsport, but with rumors of its Le Mans project getting the ax at the end of the 2017 season, Formula E looks as if it's the most likely destination.
It may seem ridiculous to cut a program at its prime, after three consecutive wins, but with the direction Volkswagen AG is taking right now, it's starting to look as if it's all hands on deck for the development of electric vehicles. Or at least that's what the company would like us to think.
Porsche has shown interest in Formula E before when it competed to become the battery supplier for the series. In the end, it lost to McLaren Applied Technologies, but it kept monitoring the series regardless.
Last month, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and LMP1 team principal and technical chief Andreas Seidl met with Formula E boss, Alejandro Agag during the Monaco race weekend. "We received an invitation [to Monaco] from Alejandro Agag to have a look and experience Formula E for the first time," Seidl commented on the meeting, talking to Autosport. "We just had an invitation to an interesting series, though maybe there are not enough technical freedoms yet."
It is believed Porsche plans an entry beginning with season five when the competition intends to ditch the current car swap and complete the entire race in just one go. Other changes to the format that would give the series more "technical freedom" are also considered.
Porsche officials were also present at the Berlin ePrix at the start of the month, allegedly to gather more information on what it took to enter the competition. The team is expected to sort out its future in the World Endurance Championship by the end of this year, and depending on the outcome, we might learn more about its possible Formula E involvement.
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