Porsche: F1 interest will "influence" decision to continue in Formula E

The manufacturer joined the electric championship in 2019-20 and after Pascal Wehrlein was disqualified in Puebla last season for incorrectly declared tyres, it is yet to win a race.

In that time, its fierce Stuttgart rival Mercedes has joined the grid in a factory capacity and scored a drivers’ and teams’ world championship title double.

Porsche’s new vice president of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach - whose appointment followed the departure of Pascal Zurlinden, who was hands on with the FE programme - said it was a “fact” that the team had underperformed so far and finishing eighth in 2021.

Speaking to select media, including Autosport, Laudenbach reckoned: “The success wasn't as good as we expected, or as we wanted to have. That's a fact.

“The goal is we want to win races in Formula E, and [that] we are for sure heading for a championship.”

Since Porsche has joined Formula E, three of its key premium German rivals have announced they will quit the series in Audi, BMW and most recently Mercedes.

Porsche is currently committed to the championship until the end of the 2023-24 campaign (season 10), the second year of the inbound 470bhp and delta wing-lookalike Gen3 cars.

Formula E Gen-3 car rendering

Photo by: FIA Formula E

Laudenbach said Porsche would begin evaluating its case to remain in Formula E beyond this deadline over the coming year.

He continued: “For us, it's clear that we will at a certain stage decide about the future of our Formula E engagement so far.

“Throughout the next year, we will decide if we want to carry on, if we want to extend it.”

This comes amid a growing expectation Porsche will return to Formula 1 for the advent of the new engine regulations in 2026, with the parent Volkswagen Group having been involved in recent powertrain discussions with the FIA and existing manufacturers.

As previously reported by Autosport, Laudenbach and Porsche’s interest in F1 is warm.

He said: “It's not a secret that we are thinking about [F1]” and that the factors for Porsche to join F1 - namely an increased push for greater electrification to elements of the powertrain - are “coming true”.

Should Porsche commit to the grand prix grid, Laudenbach said it would “influence” a decision on the future of the Formula E programme.

He continued: "When we decided the commitments, including season 10, for Formula E, I don't think we had something with Formula 1 back in our mind.

“So I think these were two things which are completely separate from each other.

“And yes, for sure if in the meantime there would be a decision for Formula 1, which is extremely open, this will have an influence of what we do in all the other programmes.

“That's clear.”