Volkswagen plans a Formula 1 entry

If there is one car manufacturer whose entry into Formula 1 is often mentioned only to be just as often denied, it is Volkswagen. The German brand, the European leader in car sales and particularly eager to surpass the American General Motors on a global scale, may, according to its head of the sports department, present a plan for a possible entry into the premier category.

In an interview with WirtschaftsWoche, Wolfgang Dürheimer expressed his desire to see the brand become involved in F1: « I will present my concept later this year and make proposals that will not only affect the categories in which we are currently involved. At the level of sales predicted by the Volkswagen group in America [North and South], Asia, and the Middle East, we are not sufficiently represented in motorsport in these areas. In my opinion, this needs to be corrected ».

A representation that could therefore go through the F1 circus, whose stops in Asian or Gulf countries are increasingly frequent: « F1 is by far the [discipline] most appropriate, and it dominates the motor racing scene in Europe and Asia ». On the other hand, while the big top will certainly be set up more often on the American continent, with the return of two rounds in the United States (New York and Austin), this market requires a different strategy: « [F1] is far from being visible [in the United States], but they have IndyCar and NASCAR. These series must also be considered in the context of a future strategy. »

If Volkswagen decides to take the plunge, it would initially be as an engine supplier that it would intervene. Before perhaps acquiring a structure to become a full-fledged team in the paddock. A strategy that Wolfgang Dürheimer had already mentioned last year to our German colleagues from Auto Motor und Sport: « I could consider an F1 commitment in 2018 when the company is at the forefront of the automotive industry. We have enough brands that could do it. »

The Volkswagen group indeed owns the brands Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat, and Skoda, almost all of which are involved in certain categories of motorsports, whether it’s Endurance, Super Touring, or rallying (an event in which the Wolfsburg manufacturer will be fully engaged starting in 2013). It is also worth noting that among these big automotive names, some have had connections with F1: Bugatti by participating in the 1956 French Grand Prix, Lamborghini by supplying engines to seven teams (including the official team in 1991) between 1989 and 1993, and Porsche by taking part in thirty-one races between 1958 and 1964, notably winning the 1962 French Grand Prix thanks to Dan Gurney, and then returning as an engine supplier for the McLaren team in the mid-1980s, enabling the British team to win two world championships and Niki Lauda and Alain Prost to clinch one and two titles respectively.