“Isn’t compelling enough,” Cosworth boss talks about return to Formula One

Cosworth CEO discusses future with F1.

Cosworth Via Motorsport.com

Cosworth is a British engineering company with an immensely successful history in F1. The British engine manufacturer has collected 176 wins as a supplier in Formula One, only trailing Ferrari and Mercedes. Cosworth had an incredibly successful run in F1 between 1968 and 1983 owing to the indomitable nature of their DFV and FVA range of engines, used by the likes of Brabham, Lotus, Tyrell, McLaren etc.

Cosworth was purchased by Audi in 1998 with its racing division being sold to Ford. The team supplied engines to the Ford-backed Jaguar F1 team between 2000 and 2004. When Jaguar was purchased by Red Bull, Cosworth provided engines for their first season in the sport. Cosworth has not been involved in Formula One since 2013 and does not intend to return anytime soon.

With the growing involvement of engine suppliers such as Ford and Audi in Formula One, Cosworth too would be eyeing a return to the pinnacle of motorsport right? Wrong. In a recent interview with Autosport.com, Cosworth CEO Hal Reisinger talked about the British engineering firm’s plans for Formula One. “That hasn’t been a focus for us. It requires dedication of all your resources if you want to do it well, and I don’t believe in doing anything less than excellent.” Reisinger explained.

FS Video

Cosworth reluctant to return to F1

Hal Reisinger then went on saying, “It would require us to create another part of our organisation to properly serve Formula One, which up until this point in this conversation hasn’t presented itself in a compelling enough business proposition for me to consider.”

The CEO of Cosworth also spoke about the ‘consultations’ regarding future engine regulations. “I think only those that are directly involved are really going to have their input considered to the degree that it would have any input. It will typically boil down to decisions made by those that have a directly vested interest. And that is not us.” he concluded.

Yes, the #Cosworth DFV is still the most successful engine in F1 history! https://t.co/H1zXvAQ03y
— Cosworth (@Cosworth) February 6, 2023

While the addition of new power unit suppliers is certainly an exciting aspect for fans, the cost of setting up a Formula One-centred Powertrains program needs to be taken into consideration. Global conglomerates such as Ford and Audi can afford to commit an extraordinary amount of money to their F1 program while companies such as Cosworth do not see the financial gain in such an investment.