VW/Porsche set for F1
Volkswagen rules out WRC and NASCAR, but either VW, Audi or Porsche brands could enter formula one by 2013.
Volkswagen could buck the trend and become the first major car manufacturer to commit to formula one in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Volkswagen Motorsport boss Kris Nissen says the German company is considering stepping up into the world’s premier motorsport category as early as 2013.
But he cautioned that any decision to join the sport is dependent on new engine regulations currently under discussion. The new regulations are expected to see F1 adopt small-capacity turbocharged engines to replace the current 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8s.
“All I can say at the moment is that nobody is aware of the new regulations for formula one engines,” Nissen told Drive at last weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hour race. “Until that is clear I think nobody, including Volkswagen, can do any comments on their interest. First we need from the FIA to know exactly the regulations from 2013 or ’14 and we also need formula one [in general] to recover a bit.”
He did admit that Volkswagen is open to joining the sport, despite BMW, Honda and Toyota all quitting the category since 2008 blaming the high cost of competition.
“Formula one has been, I would say, in a crisis,” Nissen said. “It has been very expensive, manufacturers have been pulling out and a lot of political discussions and stories. Which I think, personally, is really a shame because I think formula one is number one in motorsport. Formula one is very attractive for everybody.
“I personally believe that every big, successful manufacturer should always do a good motorsport program, point one. Point two, they should always consider if formula one could be possible or interesting because this is where you have the biggest and the highest awareness worldwide. But it’s also, of course, the most expensive one. And it’s also the one where if you are not successful it is the one where you can create, more or less, a bad image; you take a risk being there.”
The potential change to a small-capacity turbo engine is part of a plan by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, to create a ‘global racing engine’ that could be used in different states of tune in up to 10 categories around the world.
Both the World Rally Championship and the World Touring Car Championship will use a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine from next year it what is seen as the first stage of the global racing engine roll-out. Ultimately the engine could be used in formula one, Indycar racing and a variety of touring car, sports car and junior racing categories.
Nissen said Volkswagen has been supportive of the concept and is working with the FIA.
“I think we have been quite involved,” he explained. “We’ve had a lot of meetings about new engine regulations together with the FIA and all the organizations. When I say ‘we’ I mean the Volkswagen Group – Volkswagen and Audi and also Porsche has been involved.
“I think the main point is that everybody understands the future of normal (road car) engines is downsizing. It’s downsizing on the petrol side – that means 1.2-, 1.4- or 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre in bigger cars – and it’s also downsizing on the diesel side. The fist reactions have already come now from FIA with changes to World Rally and World Touring cars for 2011 with 1.6-litre turbo engine, instead of 2.0 naturally aspirated or 2.0-litre turbo. This is the first step.”
Volkswagen Group motorsport boss Hans-Joachim Stuck has previously been quoted as saying the company would only get involved as an engine supplier to existing teams, instead of running an in-house team like BMW, Toyota and Honda.
The company has strong ties to Austrian energy drink giant Red Bull, with the two firms supporting each other in a variety of motorsport including the Dakar Rally. If VW decided to graduate to F1 it would most likely be as an engine supplier to Red Bull Racing and its sister team, Toro Rosso.
Quizzed if the group would use the Volkswagen brand or premium badges Audi or Porsche, Nissen admitted the company’s options are open.
“It’s a good question to ask but I’m not the right person to ask,” he said. “I’m in charge of the motorsport for the brand Volkswagen. And I’m not in charge of the strategy for the group… Within the group, for sure, it could be Audi, it could be Porsche and might also be Volkswagen. I think it would not suit so well Skoda or Seat or Bentley.”
Meanwhile, Peter Thul, head of product communications for Volkswagen, has revealed the company undertook a detailed feasibility study of NASCAR last year.
With plans to build a new midsize sedan in the United States next year Thul revealed the German company considered joining Toyota, Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford but ruled against it because of cost and NASCAR’s out-dated technology. NASCAR still uses pushrod V8 engines with carburettors instead of fuel injection.
“We did study NASCAR but it was very expensive and the engines are from the middle ages… From the PR side it’s fantastic but not the technology,” Thul said.
While he also ruled out joining the World Rally Championship because Volkswagen doesn’t consider Citroen a competitor in the road car market, he did reveal the company is eager to race in emerging markets to build it brand image.
“It’s about the market,” he said. “If there was a race in China or India we would race there.”