What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure

Formula 1 social media whipped itself up in to a frenzy earlier this week as speculation went wild that Porsche was about to announce a grand prix partnership with a Gulf-backed Williams team.

The theories had been triggered by the the German manufacturer posting a promo video on its Formula E Instagram page. Showing an old television broadcast that, after a bit of interference, mentioned a 16 January date, Twitter posts analysing freeze frames reckoned that Porsche had teased a blurry head shot of Frank Williams.

Coming just a few days after the iconic Gulf brand had hinted about ‘big F1 news coming soon’, as it looks set to shift teams after leaving McLaren at the end of last year, it was easy to understand why some felt that all the stars lined up.

In the end, though, Porsche’s announcement was absolutely nothing to do with what some had expected. Instead, it was a simple rebranding of its Instagram page.

Keen to streamline social media for all its racing activities, the 16 January date saw it move its Instagram page away from just FE and instead bring together all of the Porsche Motorsport activities.

And, for now, F1 is not a part of that.

On the one hand, the frenzy surrounding an innocent social media post that was even turned into news stories by some confirmed the old Mark Twain quote - a lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.

But perhaps it also highlighted more just why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1.

Yes, strong independent teams like Williams, McLaren and Haas are an important lifeblood of the series to help ensure that F1 escapes the boom-and-bust cycles that manufacturer-exclusive racing series all too often go through, but equally having OEMs on board is a boost for everyone.

There is no cash uptick from Red Bull winning championships with its own power units as opposed to having someone else’s name on the engine

On a basic level, cars need engines to be powered around the tracks, and the hundreds of millions of dollars it costs to develop a competitive power unit is something that only OEMs can realistically afford.

With no commercial rights income distributed to the winning engine in F1, there is no financial gain to be had from a team electing to build its own engine rather than taking a customer unit that is price regulated and mandated to be exactly the same specification as the works squad.

This is one of the reasons why Red Bull, for all its high ambitions with delivering its own engines through Red Bull Powertrains, has been eager from day one to get a manufacturer partner on board. There is no cash uptick from Red Bull winning championships with its own power units as opposed to having someone else’s name on the engine.

Red Bull and Porsche's talks over collaborating collapsed last summer

Photo by: Alessio Morgese

This is why it was initially quite eager for Porsche to join forces, before getting cold feet about the extent to which the German manufacturer wanted to take control of the F1 operation.

When those talks collapsed last summer, it did not take long for Red Bull to evaluate other options and, according to sources with good knowledge of the situation, a deal with Ford for 2026 appears to be very, very close. There could even be an announcement ahead of the 2023 season.

What the might of manufacturers, particularly of Ford's ilk, do is bring with them the power of huge marketing machines. The old saying of win on Sunday, sell on Monday, may not necessarily have as direct a link now as it did several decades ago, but the value of brand engagement is immense for getting people to buy your products further down the line.

That bid to engage and market the sport provides a double value too, as it helps raise the profile of F1 as a whole.

Billboards and television adverts across the world that proclaim success for Mercedes, or Honda, or Ferrari, are all extra advertising points that get eyeballs on grand prix racing.

It is little wonder then that, amid the debate over whether or not Andretti Global’s bid to secure a place on the F1 grid should be given a green light, the focus has been on it having a manufacturer behind it.

Michael Andretti has put great faith in his agreement with Cadillac to work with it on its plans

Photo by: Mark Sutton

That was why Michael Andretti himself has put great faith in his agreement with Cadillac to work with it on its plans. As Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said at the end of last year, as Andretti’s first attempt to run straightforward Renault customer engines received a stone cold response: “Andretti is a great name, and I think they have done exceptional things in the US. But this is sport and this is business and we need to understand what is it that you can provide to the sport.

"And if an OEM or an international, multinational group joins F1 and can demonstrate that they are going to spend X amount of dollars in activating, in marketing in the various markets; that's obviously a totally different value proposition for all the other teams."

There is also one other critical factor that makes the value of manufacturers so big to F1, and it’s something that money cannot buy: heritage. Excitement about brands like Porsche coming in to Formula 1 is so intense because of all the history that the Stuttgart brand has had in motorsport in the past. Twin it with the idea of a Gulf livery, made so famous with the 917 and Steve McQueen’s ‘Le Mans’ film, and it is little wonder it sets off such a romanticised buzz.

Excitement about brands like Porsche coming in to Formula 1 is so intense because of all the history that the Stuttgart brand has had in motorsport in the past

For Porsche’s marketing chiefs, it will probably not be lost on it just how much excitement its innocent social media post triggered, as it continues to evaluate potential options in F1. The door for 2026 is almost certainly shut now though, with manufacturers having had to register already with the FIA. But it is clear F1 is not over despite the end of the Red Bull talks. Speaking at the end of last year, Thomas Laudenbach, the vice president of Porsche Motorsport, said that the missing factor right now was not intent: it was the right opportunity.

“We all know the talks with Red Bull have stopped, but that doesn’t mean just by one idea it doesn’t happen for whatever reason,” he said. “Now, still Formula 1 is interesting to us but, if you’re looking for such a commitment you need to have the right solution, that’s clear. Formula 1 is still interesting but nothing more to say, nothing is on the table right now. There are a lot of things to sort out, there are not a lot of possibilities.”

But what if the premature Williams hype proves to be a self fulfilling prophesy? It may be nonsense for now, but what if it has lit the spark of an idea about an alliance longer term?

Not impossible. And, as this week’s frenzy showed, F1 chiefs and fans would welcome it with open arms.

Thomas Laudenbach, the vice president of Porsche Motorsport, said that the missing factor right now was not intent: it was the right opportunity

Photo by: Andreas Beil