Friday 28th July 2017

Porsche to quit LMP1

Another motorsport great joins Formula E!

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After yesterday's news of Mercedes leaving DTM to focus its efforts on F1 and Formula E, Porsche has made the announcement this morning that its LMP1 venture is over. The 919 Hybrid will cease competing at the end of this season and its motorsport strategy will focus on the 911 RSR and Formula E from 2019. 

The last race will be Bahrain...

The announcement is in line with Porsche's Strategy 2025 which will see the car maker build GT cars and fully electric sports cars like the Mission E. Does make you wonder about all those hybrids though, taking inspiration from the world of motorsport...

International GT racing is apparently still a priority for Porsche though, with the 911 RSR  being used in the GT class across the World Endurance Championship and the American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racing. Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for R&D at Porsche said, "A diversity of manufacturers and the quality of both WEC and IMSA have led us to strengthen our commitment and concentrate our energies on using the 911 RSR. We want to be number one. To do that, we must invest accordingly". 

Porsche plans to enter Formula E for the 2019/20 season, by which time BMW will also be competing as well as Mercedes and the other teams like Jaguar, DS and Renault who are already involved. With the regulations also allowing manufacturer designed powertrains now - as opposed to the standardised units originally employed - Formula E looks set to rise in prominence. Will you be watching to see Porsche battle Mercedes in electric vehicles?

[Arbs]

I wasn't too fussed about LMP1, never really go it! Much prefer the lower classes that actually resemble road cars, hopefully more focus will be shifted to them now! Last Le Mans showed the most exciting racing was in them catagories!