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Formula E: More details of Porsche’s plans come into frame

By Alex Herbst

BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 13: The Porsche logo stands at a Porsche dealership on June 13, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Spiegel magazine, after conducting independent tests on a Porsche Cayenne V6 diesel SUV, is accusing the company of using software built into the car's engine to detect when it is being tested for emissions. The magazine claims the car's emissions of nitrogen-oxides are substantially higher under real driving circumstances. The accusations come in the ongoing wake of investigations into Volkswagen, Porsche's parent company, over software that illegally manipulated the emissions of VW diesel cars and affected millions of car worldwide. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 13: The Porsche logo stands at a Porsche dealership on June 13, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Spiegel magazine, after conducting independent tests on a Porsche Cayenne V6 diesel SUV, is accusing the company of using software built into the car's engine to detect when it is being tested for emissions. The magazine claims the car's emissions of nitrogen-oxides are substantially higher under real driving circumstances. The accusations come in the ongoing wake of investigations into Volkswagen, Porsche's parent company, over software that illegally manipulated the emissions of VW diesel cars and affected millions of car worldwide. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) /
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Porsche announced on Saturday additional details of their timeline for entering Formula E. They are expected to compete starting in the 2019-2020 season.

Formula E is preparing for big changes in the coming years. By the end of the decade, the series hopes to eliminate the car swaps in the middle of the race, while also expanding the grid by two teams.

Mercedes and Porsche are set to join the grid in time for season six, with Porsche announcing additional details of their plans this weekend.

At their end of season gala on Saturday, Porsche released the following statement outlining much of their plans in preparation for a late 2019 entry into Formula E, according to NBC Sports:

"“The Porsche LMP Team will spend 2018 concentrating on its new mission: its successful entry into Formula E. The start takes place in season six, beginning at the end of 2019.“Until then, the team will design, develop and test a complete powertrain. The first steps were already taken in 2017, with the concrete implementation of the concept taking place next year.“The first test drives with the finished Formula E race car from Porsche are scheduled for early 2019.”"

Porsche will be joining Formula E with a program that will replace their LMP1 project, which ended in the World Endurance Championship at the end of 2017. The car manufacturer however is continuing their GTE-Am and GTE-Pro efforts in the WEC, as well as fielding cars in GTLM and GTD in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

Despite not having a car on track yet, Porsche already does have a presence in the all-electric championship. Factory drivers Neel Jani and Andre Lotterer drive for Dragon Racing and Techeetah respectively, both in their rookie campaigns this year. Perhaps Jani and Lotterer are competing in preparation for racing with the factory team when they arrive for the 2019-2020 season, or the team could go in a completely different direction.

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The factory operation certainly has a bevy of drivers that they can lean on going forward. Despite losing Brendon Hartley to Formula One, a number of big sports car racing names like Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Timo Bernhard remain with the German manufacturer, and could transition to FE in the coming years. After all, many of the current championship drivers have raced when possible in the World Endurance Championship.

It will also be interesting to see if Porsche keeps their technology for themselves, or partners with an independent privateer team to create in effect a satellite operation. Only Dragon Racing and Techeetah remain without ties to an OEM, but it is rumored that Techeetah could partner with DS Automobiles (a division of Peugeot) in season five. This would then leave Virgin Racing without a partner manufacturer, something that has proven to be an almost necessity nowadays in Formula E.

Next: Top 5 manufacturers looking to join Formula E

What do you expect from Porsche when they do finally debut in Formula E? Will they be immediately competitive, or need time to find their footing? Comment below with your thoughts, and tune in for the next all-electric ePrix from Marrakesh, Morocco on January 13th.

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