Porsche had “already built” F1 engine before Formula E entry

Porsche’s Vice-president of Motorsport Fritz Enzinger has revealed that the German manufacturer had “already built” a Formula 1 engine with an idea of joining the grid before deciding to enter into Formula E.

There have been frequent rumours over the years about other car manufacturers entering into the world of F1, with Volkswagen being named here or there.
 
One of its brands, Porsche, has now revealed that they were close to joining the grid before VW elected to focus more on electric motorsport, prompting their FE entry.
 
Enzinger said to Speedweek when asked how close they were to F1: "Really close.
 
"When the Group's Executive Board commissioned a highly efficient racing engine in 2017, Porsche had not only designed, but already built one.
 
"We were involved in the regulatory discussions between the FIA ​​and the F1 promoter Liberty Media. However, during the construction phase, the group's decision was made to move towards e-mobility."
 
Despite the effort put in to create an F1 engine, Enzinger says that it wasn’t a waste of time as components from it can be used in the e-series, where they claimed a podium in the opening race in Diriyah of the 2019-20 season.
 
"The 1.6 litre V6 engine was already on the test bench,” he added.
 
“The development has not been in vain, however, as a large number of components and processes can be used for the electric series."
 
"It was really a surprise that we would finish second in the first race. It was important because our path was a brave one - we couldn't build on an existing team like the rivals from BMW on Andretti or Mercedes on HWA.
 
"So we needed experience, which is why Lotterer, who drove for two years in the best team [DS Techeetah], was hired and was the reference for us. After his verdict in the first test in August, we knew we were doing really well."