Formula 1’s planned overhaul of its rules for the 2021 season is “too early” for Lamborghini to enter the championship according to its chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali.
The former Ferrari team principal joined the Volkswagen Group-owned Italian sports car brand in 2016 and has participated in recent meetings on F1’s future engine rules. But in an interview for the official F1 website Domenicali said the company’s priorities do not include a move into F1 in the near future.
“I would say [it’s] difficult in this moment because the level of investment that Formula 1 needs, to be not to be competitive but to compete, is very high.“Today Lamborghini needs to invest in other priorities: in new product, in the network, in the dealers. We are consolidating a big group, a big growth. Therefore in the short-term I don’t see that possible. But in life never say never.”
FIA president Jean Todt told media including RaceFans at Monza that at least one manufacturer had expressed interest in entering F1 after 2021.
“There was some demonstration of interest from one who said to us we are not in a situation to commit for ’21 but what is very important for us is to know exactly what will be the regulations because it will be a strong interest in the future,” he said.
Lamborghini was previously active as an engine supplier in F1 between 1989 (when the 3.5-litre engine format was introduced) until 1993, when it was owned by Chrysler.
Its spell in F1 ended after a mooted collaboration with McLaren came to naught. Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen tested a version of the MP4/8 fitted with a Lamborghini V12 engine producing around 670bhp, but the team eventually decided to use Peugeot engines.
“At the end of the day there was not enough money to pay for the commercial side of it in 1993,” Domenicali added.
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Todfod (@todfod)
13th September 2018, 7:43
Would love to see Lamborghini in F1.. and would like to see Dominecali make a comeback as well. As Stefano said..it’s a shame that the cost to compete are so high.. and the cost to be competitive is so astronomical .. and the risk of failure is so immense that I cannot see any manufacturer in their right mind wanting to do this.
ColdFly (@)
13th September 2018, 8:16
Maybe staying true to their heritage they should start providing the recovery tractors.
Illusive (@illusive)
13th September 2018, 8:30
I think it’s just fear of failure and risking brand value, add to that the astronomical cost for risking such failure would be not a sound business decision.
I wish a company like buggati take interest in f1.
Watson
13th September 2018, 9:07
This is an interesting story just to have popped up, with CEO Domenicali of Lamborghini, Kimi moving to Sauber with possible shares of the team and his wife buying a Lamborghini (Insta pics) and Kimi and Domenicali both working for Ferrari. And with Domenicali saying they are out prob means they are really in but dont want anyone to know. Especially with the power of VW behind him – Hmm who knows!
Maybe there is more going on in the background or I’m just looking too much into it.
Hazel Southwell (@hazelsouthwell)
13th September 2018, 10:58
Their V12 did have a 48% failure rate if I remember correctly, too. ;)
(I genuinely enjoyed their uhm, cheerfully chaotic era of supply)
stjs16 (@stjs16)
13th September 2018, 11:13
Some failure rate but it didn’t stop McLaren using Honda power.
jj_0
13th September 2018, 12:15
And I don’t recall the Peugeot engine being very dependable either ;-)
Hazel Southwell (@hazelsouthwell)
13th September 2018, 12:37
@stjs16 I think it literally did stop McLaren using Honda power recently…
But also this was when you could throw the thing out after every single session so having it blow was really pretty shoddy.
socksolid (@socksolid)
13th September 2018, 12:37
Unlike the honda engines the lamborghini engine iirc was pretty competitive (but as said not very reliable).
Alex
13th September 2018, 19:28
And it sounded pretty good too
GeeMac (@geemac)
14th September 2018, 11:44
According to Derek Warwick, who used the engine at Lotus in 1990, the Lamborghini V12 “made a lot of noise but not a lot else”…