As both belong to the Volkswagen group, many understood that Audi and Porsche entering Formula 1 at the same time would share many or all of the technical elements related to the development of the power unit, but this will not be the case.
Years have passed, but finally the rumored entry of the Volkswagen group in Formula 1 has been confirmed… and doubly so: while Audi has recently confirmed that it will land in F1 from 2016, presumably with the purchase of 75% of Sauber, it is expected that porsche do the same soon from the hand of Red Bull.
However, once the technical details of these two respective operations have been revealed, there is a technological factor which has raised doubts. Contrary to what many in the paddock might initially think, both brands will carry out independent projects, thus disdaining any alliance with which to save costs.
“To meet the schedule, the work of integrating the electrified part in the powertrain, together with the chassis, takes time to do in two cars”
Belonging to the same group will not be an advantage in this regard, so both individualistic developments they will need to prove their effectiveness separately once their engines hit the track.
Reasons enough
Several have been the representatives of the German manufacturer who have come to the fore to defend this position. How could it be otherwise? Markus Deusmanchairman of the Audi management board, was the first to do so.
«Audi will carry out its operations in Germanyand if Porsche enters they will do so in the United Kingdomcompletely separate, “said the leader pointing to his base in Neuburg for the headquarters of Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes.
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“As you can imagine, there was a big discussion. Since our two brands have a large following and both have their own special character, we decided to keep it completely separate and do two operations. We had several reasons: we will have different teams, and the powertrain has to be specially designed for the chassis. That’s why we decided to split it up, because we’ll have completely different chassis and powertrains,” he continued.
“It is clear that we are at a point where we are, and the others already have powertrains that work, but the changes in the regulation have been big enough for us to see an opportunity to enter and be competitiveDeusmann concluded.
Roadmap
Secondly, Oliver Hoffman, head of technical development at Audi, provided further technical details. “In order to meet the schedule, the work of integrating the electrified part into the powertrain, together with the chassis, takes time to do in two cars. So they are completely different operations, and we will do the integration work ourselves », he revealed.
Hoffman claimed that “getting this work done by 2026 is really a big challenge” that they are willing to face with all of the law, convinced of developing a winning project in several years.
“We love the challenge […] We will be able to develop this powertrain also by 2026.”
“But I think we found some compromises with the rules that allow us to enter on a level playing field with all the other competitors. And we love the challenge. We have been able to run the Dakar, and to develop the Dakar car, which is also a very complex powertrain, in less than a year. And I think we will be able to develop this powertrain as well by 2026.”
Font: autosport
