VW Enters.................

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FW17
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VW Enters.................

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The pre-war German domination of Formula One could soon be reborn, with Audi rumoured to be readying itself for a 2016 return to Grand Prix racing. Insiders at Audi and its parent, the Volkswagen Group, have revealed that Audi is set to abandon both Germany’s touring car championship (the DTM) and the iconic Le Mans 24 Hour race in favour of the world’s top open-wheel formula.

Insiders say it will combine its WEC and DTM budgets, plus a Red Bull sponsorship package to try to make its mark again on Grand Prix racing, an arena it hasn’t entered since the advent of the modern Formula One championship in 1950. Multiple sources have also confirmed that Audi will bow to internal Volkswagen Group pressure and leave the Le Mans and World Endurance Championship to its sister brand, Porsche.

It’s understood that Audi was close to entering F1 in 2013, and was the driving force behind the sport’s aborted plan to use four-cylinder turbocharged engines. At Audi’s urging, the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council proposed, in late in 2010, to turn F1 into a four-cylinder turbo formula. Audi backflipped on joining the sport, though, and the F1 Commission changed the engine formula to turbocharged V6. Insiders insist Audi and the Volkswagen Group have now been working on a 1.6-litre V6 turbo Formula One engine since early this year.

While it will contain the engine and electric hybrid development in-house, Audi is said to prefer buying an existing Formula One operation, rather than building up an F1 operation from scratch. Either Red Bull Racing or its Italian-based development team, Toro Rosso, are understood to be the prime targets, citing Audi’s (and Volkswagen Group chairman, Ferdinand Piech’s) historic links to Austria and its close relationship with Red Bull boss, Dietrich Mateschitz. Red Bull has long been the major sponsor of Audi’s leading team in the DTM.

Giving fuel to the Formula One leak is Audi’s hiring this month of former Ferrari Formula One team principal Stefano Domenicali. The Italian Domenicali has no experience of Le Mans-style sports cars, has no experience of touring car racing and does not even speak German. The sources are insistent that Formula One is only possible reason why Audi, which is the successor of the legendary pre-war Auto Union brand and carries its four-ringed badge, would have just hired the Italian, even under the temporary pretense of a non-racing role.

In terms of drivers Fernando Alonso, the double World Champion who is leaving Ferrari this year, is a potential target, Should he not sign with McLaren-Honda for 2015, may be forced to take a sabbatical year in 2015. Alonso has a close relationship with Domenicali, having driven for him at Ferrari for several years, and could return to his team leadership via Audi in 2016.

A successful return to the top level of motorsport by Audi could spark a head-to-head rivalry with Mercedes-Benz that has lain dormant since the beginning of WWII, with the final years before the war seeing the two state-sponsored car companies dominate racing and land-speed record runs across Europe.

Audi’s departure from Le Mans will end an extraordinary period of dominance at La Sarthe. It has won the round-the-clock classic 13 times since 2000 and was beginning to threaten Porsche’s record of 16 wins. It has been genuinely beaten just once since 2000 (by Peugeot in 2009) and became both the first marque to win Le Mans with a diesel-engined car and the first to win with a hybrid.


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adrianjordan
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I could easily see both Red Bull Racing and Torro Rosso with Audi engines from 2016 if this is true...
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ScottB
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Hmmm not buying it.

Wasn't Domenicalli hired by Ducati, rather than Audi directly?

2016 to come in, having bought Red Bull and presumably paid off Renault and Infiniti? Don't see it. Renault have already made it clear they don't feel they get much credit, but I can't see Red Bull selling up to the point of the team being named 'Audi' which you'd think it would need to be to properly fight with Mercedes?

Maybe buying STR is a more obvious route, but a less competitive starting point, and a base away from England where they'd really need to be.

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FW17
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Would be best if Audi runs it from Ingolstadt

Blanchimont
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Hmmm, Kodewa isn't that far away from Ingolstadt... https://goo.gl/maps/ZAi39
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ScottB
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WilliamsF1 wrote:Would be best if Audi runs it from Ingolstadt
There's a reason why 'German' Mercedes, 'Austrian' Red Bull and most other teams are all based in roughly the same bit of England.

marcush.
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if this has any substance...AUDI would and should consider Sauber as Partner or as asset to buy into.
They know the place and the tunnel -all Audis LMPs are developped there and they sure have a very good relationship to Sauber....it´s not far away from Ingolstadt as well and the people are competent and situated already there..a viable alternative to Great Britain in my view.
Porsches decision to compete in LeMans hints at audi likely to look elsewhere if they stay in top motorsports...alternatives would be :
WRC -VW already there ...
F1
Nascar?
MotoGP
Formula E ???

I think the logic behind Formula 1 is obvious if you would not want to have internal competition when going racing as a worksteam.

ScottB
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marcush. wrote:if this has any substance...AUDI would and should consider Sauber as Partner or as asset to buy into.
They know the place and the tunnel -all Audis LMPs are developped there and they sure have a very good relationship to Sauber....it´s not far away from Ingolstadt as well and the people are competent and situated already there..a viable alternative to Great Britain in my view.
Porsches decision to compete in LeMans hints at audi likely to look elsewhere if they stay in top motorsports...alternatives would be :
WRC -VW already there ...
F1
Nascar?
MotoGP
Formula E ???

I think the logic behind Formula 1 is obvious if you would not want to have internal competition when going racing as a worksteam.
Audi has an interest in Formula E doesn't it?

Not that that would be a barrier to entering F1. Agree Sauber is probably a better starting point than either Red Bull team.

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Pierce89
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ScottB wrote:
WilliamsF1 wrote:Would be best if Audi runs it from Ingolstadt
There's a reason why 'German' Mercedes, 'Austrian' Red Bull and most other teams are all based in roughly the same bit of England.
Yeah they bought teams already in existence. With the engineering talent available all over the world these days, I see no reason a team has to be in "Motorsport Valley" to compete. Ferrari and Toro Rosso do fine in Italy and Toyota was really starting to do well in Cologne before they pulled the plug.
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Pierce89
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ScottB wrote:
marcush. wrote:if this has any substance...AUDI would and should consider Sauber as Partner or as asset to buy into.
They know the place and the tunnel -all Audis LMPs are developped there and they sure have a very good relationship to Sauber....it´s not far away from Ingolstadt as well and the people are competent and situated already there..a viable alternative to Great Britain in my view.
Porsches decision to compete in LeMans hints at audi likely to look elsewhere if they stay in top motorsports...alternatives would be :
WRC -VW already there ...
F1
Nascar?
MotoGP
Formula E ???

I think the logic behind Formula 1 is obvious if you would not want to have internal competition when going racing as a worksteam.
Audi has an interest in Formula E doesn't it?

Not that that would be a barrier to entering F1. Agree Sauber is probably a better starting point than either Red Bull team.
I think Audi is only connected to Formula E through the fact that Abt runs a FE program.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111323

Now next year when the powertrain opens up maybe Audi could get more involved.
Last edited by Pierce89 on 24 Oct 2014, 20:30, edited 1 time in total.
“To be able to actually make something is awfully nice”
Bruce McLaren on building his first McLaren racecars, 1970

“I've got to be careful what I say, but possibly to probably Juan would have had a bigger go”
Sir Frank Williams after the 2003 Canadian GP, where Ralf hesitated to pass brother M. Schumacher

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FW17
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Re: VW Enters.................

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ScottB wrote:
WilliamsF1 wrote:Would be best if Audi runs it from Ingolstadt
There's a reason why 'German' Mercedes, 'Austrian' Red Bull and most other teams are all based in roughly the same bit of England.

They bought an existing outfit did not start one. TMG had no problem finding 800 people to work at koln, Ferrari had no problem during the Schumacher era. Porsche and Audi LMP teams work fine in Germany.

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spinmastermic
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WilliamsF1 wrote:
ScottB wrote:
WilliamsF1 wrote:Would be best if Audi runs it from Ingolstadt
There's a reason why 'German' Mercedes, 'Austrian' Red Bull and most other teams are all based in roughly the same bit of England.

They bought an existing outfit did not start one. TMG had no problem finding 800 people to work at koln, Ferrari had no problem during the Schumacher era. Porsche and Audi LMP teams work fine in Germany.
I agree, Toyota's problem was bad management. I hope Audi buy Sauber, I don't want to see them fade off the grid.

wesley123
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The first thing that comes up with me was the following; again?!

No seriously, this has been what, time 5 that they sort-of commit to F1 and sort-of don't?

On the other hand, Audi Sport has just finished it's brand new facilities, plus a new test track. If they enter(which I doubt, after their on and off behavior on it) my guess is they want to use those services, thus start a new team instead of buying one.

But I'm pretty much doubting their entry into F1. What do they have to gain from it? Audi has pretty much dominated Le Mans since 2000 and are now getting closer and closer to scoring the most Le Mans wins overall. Le Mans has been their way of promoting their technologies, and none of them are applicable in F1. The only reason I can think of an commitment to F1 instead of Le Mans/WEC would be Mercedes.
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MOWOG
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What do they have to gain from it?
That's an excellent question. From reading the source article, it appears that big brother VW has thrown them out of the LeMans clubhouse because senior management doesn't want the two siblings competing with each other. So as usual in motorsport, it's politics and ego that play the biggest roles.

From a strictly business case pov, this makes no sense. None. Zero. Unless I'm wrong, of course..... :wink:
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SectorOne
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It´s these got damn engine freeze rules, people just won´t join ;)
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