A rare unmitigated disaster for Porsche in F1

In a parallel universe, Porsche will be joining Audi on the F1 grid in 2026. In reality, that scenario was sadly discarded when the Stuttgart firm broke off its talks with Red Bull in the summer of 2023.

Porsche's last involvement in F1, which it would no doubt like to see forever cosigned to its dusty archives, evolved around an engine supply deal with the Footwork team in 1991.

As we all know, the German manufacturer built some of the greatest race cars in the history of motorsport, and partnered with McLaren with great success in the 80s, but its collaboration with the Arrows-based outfit over thirty-four years ago was an unmitigated disaster.

Porsche joined forces with the Footwork F1 team perhaps believing that its interests would be better served by partnering with a low profile, smaller outfit to test once again the waters of F1, but with a new engine concept.

In-house engine guru Hans Mezger concocted a recipe based on a hopelessly complex and bulky V12 that was in effect two original V6 units assembled together. The engine was down on power from the outlet and barley fit the original A11C chassis.

Both Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson did their very best to extract the most from the underpowered and over-weight Footwork. But ultimately, the team dumped its supplier in favor of a Ford DFR V8.

The debacle left Porsche with no other choice but to shamefully pull out of F1.

Who knows if it will ever come back...