While the partnership has yet to be officially announced, some important details have emerged regarding Porsche’s plans to acquire a major stake in Red Bull Racing. The move could see the German sports car manufacturer enter the world of Formula One and once Porsche adds its technical contribution to the team then it could see the current team championship leaders pull further away.
This isn’t Porsche’s first foray into the world of racing. The company currently has a Formula E team and produces vehicles for a number of high-level races. Those vehicles include the new Porsche 963 – the company’s most expensive consumer car ever. Although it has not yet made its debut, the 963 is expected to appear in some of the top endurance races – including next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Red Bull’s racing team first emerged in 2005 and has achieved remarkable success in Formula One since then. Over the past 16 seasons, the team has won four team championships and secured five drivers’ titles. Notable drivers who have donned the Red Bull livery include current world champion Max Verstappen, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Mark Webber and David Coulthard. This season, Red Bull could win its fifth team title and sixth drivers’ title. The team currently sits first in the standings, 82 points ahead of second-place Ferrari. Verstappen also leads Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 62 points, who is currently second in the drivers’ standings. Although not yet stated in the documents filed by Porsche and Red Bull, the deal could also have a significant impact on Red Bull’s feeder team, Alpha Tauri.
As part of the acquisition, Red Bull and Porsche have filed documents containing early details of the deal in Morocco. An official announcement is not expected to be made to the public until next month, but the documents they have submitted contain a wealth of details.
Porsche reportedly intends to acquire a 50 percent stake in Red Bull Technology. While the technical side of things is the only thing mentioned in the documents, Porsche is also expected to acquire half of the brand’s F1 racing team as part of a 10-year partnership between the two entities. While Porsche engines could be in Alpha Tauri’s cars in the near future, the Stuttgart-based company has not acquired any stake in Red Bull’s sister team.
This is not the first time Porsche has participated in Formula One, as its last involvement in the sport was in 1991, when it supplied engines to the Footwork Arrows team. That season did not go well for the German car giant, despite its success with McLaren in the 1980s. Audi – another member of the Volkswagen Group – has been given the go-ahead to return to F1, and it is currently in discussions to buy a 75 percent stake in the Sauber team.
