[WEC] Porsche Prototype Discussion

[deggis]

There used to be some talk or rumors about Porsche continuing some engine program after axing WEC... This story from May confirms there was a V6 development program for F1, and even after deciding against F1, that program has continued in smaller capacity.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14...2021-f1-engine

Porsche has built and tested an engine that would have been Formula 1 compatible and formed the basis of a 2021 entry had it committed to joining the world championship.

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However, Porsche's F1 prospects ended when the parent Volkswagen Audi Group opted to cancel its World Endurance Championship LMP1 project in favour of a Formula E entry, and the prospect of simplified and cheaper F1 engines stalled.

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Porsche had a 40-person team from its LMP1 project to develop the six-cylinder engine.

In 2017 it became clear this would not be used for a WEC programme because Porsche committed to leaving that championship once the rules shifted and the series failed to find a replacement for Porsche's sister brand Audi.

Though a move to FE - where Audi is also present - was an "obvious idea", Enzinger said the six-cylinder engine concept was still pursued because an F1 engine without the MGU-H would "also be interesting for a super sports car".

"At the end of 2017, we received a concrete order from our parent company to further develop a highly efficient six-cylinder engine, despite its LMP1 withdrawal," he said.

"Not only on paper but actually as hardware and with the idea that this engine will be put to the test in 2019.

"That was the order from the board to us."

Enzinger said its six-cylinder engine "is complete and running on the test bench" as a team of "20 to 25 technicians" use it "for analyses and further orders with regard to series relevance".

"The possible use for this six-cylinder engine was completely open," he said.