German high-performance carmaker Porsche has announced its commitment to Formula E, the all-electric motor racing series, will last until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Porsche first joined the championship in 2019 with initial plans to remain in the category for only five years through the end of the 2023-24 season.
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However, the new deal extends its commitment for another two years, ending just before Formula E introduces its Gen4 machine ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport, said: “We want to showcase innovative technologies and more sustainability in motor racing and be on the leading edge of new developments.
“Formula E plays a major role in this. The competition in this series is exceptionally high and enables us to provide important impetus for future production models.
“With such top-level and enthralling races, it excites people around the globe about electric mobility. We’re pleased to contribute to this in the future as well. We want to help shape Formula E in the long term.”
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By GlobalDataPorsche currently sits second in the teams’ championship, having won four times so far with Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa at the wheel.
Wehrlein is still in contention to win the drivers’ championship ahead of the double-header season-finale at the London E-Prix this weekend (July 30). Porsche also supplies powertrains for the Avalanche Andretti team, whose driver, Jake Dennis, currently sits at the top of the table.
In a statement to GlobalData Sport, the carmaker said while F1 remains “an interesting racing series for us”, they would be focusing their efforts on the current factory programs in the FIA World Endurance Championship and North American IMSA Series, as well as Formula E.
Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of Formula E, added: Porsche has been a valued and influential team since joining Formula E and we are excited that this will continue.
“The championship is enabling Porsche to accelerate the development of the innovative EV technologies we see in their road cars, while the team is an active member of the group, driving the development of the next generation of Formula E cars to arrive in season 13.”
The new commitment comes after it was reported in March Porsche will not enter the prestigious Formula 1 (F1) motor racing series in 2026 as had been expected.
Porsche’s intention to enter F1 alongside its sister company Audi was outlined in May 2022 by Herbert Diess, the chief executive of its parent company and German automotive manufacturing giant Volkswagen.
It subsequently appeared in legal documents last July that Porsche was closing in on the purchase of a 50% stake and a 10-year partnership with Red Bull.
However, in September last year, it was announced that the proposed partnership between Porsche and Red Bull had been scrapped by mutual consent. Red Bull then went into a partnership with Ford.
Talks with Williams, McLaren, and Aston Martin also petered out, with Aston Martin choosing a partnership with Honda.
Audi, meanwhile, confirmed last August its entry into F1 from 2026 as a power unit supplier, with the Sauber team, currently racing under the Alfa Romeo brand, announced as its partner in October.
With options running out, an extended stay in Formula E marks a pause in its efforts to enter F1 for the time being.
Commenting on its extension in Formula E, Michael Steiner, a member of the executive board for research and development at Porsche, said: “We’re convinced that our presence and successes in Formula E will continue to lay a foundation for future mobility solutions. It offers the most competitive environment to accelerate the development of high-performance vehicles with a focus on environmental friendliness and energy efficiency.
“We look forward to actively shaping the successful future of Formula E and thereby giving electric mobility even more momentum on a global scale.”
Meanwhile, McLaren Racing, the motor racing arm of the British car manufacturer, has announced global cyber security firm Trend Micro as an official partner of its Formula E team.
McLaren made its debut in Formula E last year after announcing its acquisition of the Mercedes-EQ outfit last May. The team first struck an agreement with Formula E to join the championship for the Gen3 era in January 2021. It also debuted in Extreme E in the same season.
The multi-year partnership, which will start at the 2023 London E-Prix, will see Trend Micro’s logo appear on the rear wing and halo of both McLaren Formula E cars. McLaren, meanwhile, will utilize Trend Micro’s initiatives that specifically protect the security of electric vehicles.
Ian James, managing director of McLaren Electric Racing and team principal for the McLaren Formula E team, said: “As we travel around the world, cybersecurity is critically important to us. With Trend Micro, we will explore ways to collaborate and keep our operations safe.
“We are two brands with great synergy, and I'm looking forward to our years of partnership.”
Dhanya Takkar, senior vice president of global marketing and sales at Trend Micro, added: “Innovation, speed, and sustainability are at the core of this Formula E team and Trend Micro.
“The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team is a perfect match for many reasons including the races being held in the world's most iconic cities and passionate global fan base. Our organizations have common philosophies and together we plan to accelerate innovation in the industry, accelerate resilience against cyber threats and accelerate you.”
