Porsche and Formula 1 have extended their collaboration for eight years until 2030, meaning the support series will have been on the FIA Formula One World Championship calendar for almost four decades.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will continue as a support series to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, as it has done each season without exception since 1993. For the 2023 season, the international one-make cup contested with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will be part of eight European Grand Prix events. The 2023 calendar includes Imola (Italy), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Spielberg (Austria), Silverstone (UK), Budapest (Hungary), Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Zandvoort (Netherlands) and Monza (Italy). Furthermore, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan retain their places in the support program of the Formula 1 races in China and Singapore or Japan until 2030.
In 2023, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will be part of eight European Formula 1 races. The 31st Supercup season kicks off in May as a support race to the Formula 1 Gran Premio Del Made in Italy e Dell’Emilia-Romagna 2023, with the finale held at the Formula 1 Gran Premio D’Italia 2023 in September. For the 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, 28 permanent spots are available for registered competitors. Depending on the capacity of the racetracks, additional guest drivers may enroll.
A total of 53 drivers from 19 countries lined up on the eight grids in the 2022 season. Five-time motorcycle world champion Jorge Lorenzo joined as a guest driver: the Spaniard drove the VIP 911 at the season-opener in Imola. In addition, Supercup races were contested at the Formula 1 races in Monaco, France, Austria, Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands, with Monza in Italy once again hosting the finale. The highest average speed over the year was set by the champion Dylan Pereira at just under 175km/h. The fastest race lap was turned by his teammate Harry King at Monza, with the Briton clocking an average speed of over 190km/h.
Like 2021, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars ran on Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, a bio-based fuel blend from renewable sources. The output of the six-cylinder boxer engines with a displacement of roughly four liters remained unchanged at 375kW (510ps). In addition to the technically identical race cars, the control racing tires from Michelin also guaranteed a level playing field for all and gripping race action.
At the 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, 401,000 spectators were counted by the British Grand Prix organizers. The fastest race lap of the season was 190.289km/h, set by UK racer Harry King (BWT Lechner Racing) in Monza. Since this race was interrupted by a safety car phase, this was not the fastest race overall. The highest average speed over a race distance was 174.656km/h. Supercup champion Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing) won with this pace at Spa-Francorchamps. A total of 53 drivers contested the eight rounds of the 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which included 28 registered competitors and 25 guest drivers. The latter group included the five-time motorcycle world champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard drove the VIP car at the season opener in Imola, Italy. Additionally, 21 drivers were within a second in qualifying. There were 32 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racing cars lined up on the grid at most Supercup races.
Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport, said, “The Porsche Supercup has been a regular fixture on selected Formula 1 weekends since 1993. And this isn’t about to change. Both parties have agreed to an eight-year contract extension. This underlines the great level of trust that Formula 1 has put in our concept and our team, as much today as for the last 30 years.”
Michael Dreiser, sales director for Porsche Motorsport, added, “Formula 1 is the ideal platform for drivers and teams in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup to demonstrate their prowess at the highest international level. The best from Porsche’s national one-make cups come together in the Supercup. I’m also proud of the fact that the respective national Porsche Carrera Cups will continue as part of the support program at several Formula 1 events outside Europe in the future. We will also maintain our presence in North America and even further expand our involvement.”
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said, “For 30 years Porsche has been an important part of the Formula 1 weekend. I’m looking forward to continuing our long-standing relationship which delivers something special for our fans across our European season and beyond. It is yet another sign of our growth and influence as a platform that major brands want to continue to expand their relationships with us and the potential that is there for all our partners.”
Oliver Schwab, project manager of Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, commented, “The 30th season turned out to be one of the most exciting in the history of the Supercup. Five winners in eight races speak volumes for the high-performance level among the drivers. What’s more, with this being the second year running the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, the differences between the individual teams shrunk even more. This means that the Supercup, which runs as part of the Formula 1 events, has once again impressively underlined its position as the flagship of all Porsche national one-make cups. For this, I would like to thank the squads, the drivers, our partners and my entire team.”
