Audi not interested in F1

[sportsman]

Audi's motorsport boss dismisses talk of his company entering F1, claiming that the series is not relevant to the road.
For as long as anyone can remember, Audi, and the various otherers that form the Volkswagen Group, have been linked with F1, particularly as the sport attempts to adopt a more environmentally aware stance. However, speaking to Car Magazine, the company's motorsport boss Wolfgang Ullrich has said Audi simply isn't interested in the series.
Full report here.
http://www.pitpass.com/43704-Audi-dismisses-F1-as-irrelevant

 

[Fenderman]

Those mileage, average speed and fuel consumption figures seem to support an LMP1 challenge to F1 as the pinnacle of (on track) motorsport Perhaps this little gem should be on that thread?

http://cliptheapex.com/threads/is-formula-one-the-pinnacle-of-motorsport.2706/

 

[gethinceri]

Focus on what you're good at. Good plan, wish I could do the same but slacking and sitting around don't pay the bills!
They're kicking arse in Dakar via VW and Le Mans series is really going well for them - but that's about it isn't it?
How are they going in WTC? DTM is always a two horse race so that's just punching lumps out of Merc and taking plenty in return. Their BTCC car is doing nothing so far.

 

[Andyoak]

I sometimes think that the VAG speculation is more wishful thinking from a largely European fan base. Wolfgang has beautifully summarised why I don't see a European manufacturer investing in F1 in the foreseeable future.

Renault do from their historical link (periodically) and FIAT do only because of Ferrari. Porsche and Peugeot's involvement has been nominal in modern F1 times; leaving BMW who are also only periodic entrants with engines.

The next wish list seems to go to America who have no deep interest in the series and even the current 2.5 litre engines are commuter runabout units; they don't appeal to an American market.

The Japanese don't have a great history of success in F1 but at least can see a use for high power small petrol units; as can most of the new eastern economies... and that is why I think any new engine suppliers will come from the east and not Europe. Europe is too diesel centric a market with a mature car market with strong consumer ties. European manufacturers aren't going to change perceptions and gain market share from investing in F1 but the Koreans and Chinese (and other nations) will.

I know it reeks of Bernie but on this point he's right... that is where the new interest and money will be coming from.

 

[Fenderman]

Calling TBY. Calling TBY! Andyoak's comments are seriously challenging my memory banks! Perhaps as a chassis builder the Japanese may not have had much success - one championship in the sixties as a constructor (Honda) and have not many of the wins and a number of championships fallen to the hands of Japanese engine manufacturers? Honda powered Williams and McLaren?

 

[Galahad]

Seat pulled out of the WTCC before the start of this season, the cars that are remaining are run by private teams. The Audi in the BTCC is also purely a privateer effort too, I think.

VW engines are cleaning up in the major F3 championships, Skoda are defending champions in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, and the Polo R WRC will appear in the World Rally Championship in 2013.

In other words, they're doing well in everything they're doing, which is a lot, and at a fraction of the cost it would take to run competitively in F1. I'd love to see them give it a try, but you've got to bow to their logic.

 

[Slyboogy]

Would be nice to see another manufacturer in F1, just my opinion

 

[gethinceri]

Yeah, Cadillac. White wall tyres and big fins.

 

[sportsman]

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/02/top-10-best-selling-cars-in-america.html

Usually, removing the Toyota Camry from its throne atop America's Best-Selling Cars list is a task reserved for the Honda Accord. In January 2011, however, the role of usurper was filled by the Camry's smaller sibling, the Toyota Corolla. With its Matrix hatchback derivative alongside (Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc. always lists them together), the Corolla was America's best-selling car in January on sales which were up 20.2%. The introduction of the somewhat refreshed 2011 Toyota Corolla surely provided a boost.

Where others limited incentives, General Motors boosted programs to keep sales on track after a high-volume December. That partially explains the Chevrolet Impala's presence in the fourth spot. The Impala is never a slow seller in the United States, but ascending beyond the Honda Civic and all but two popular midsize sedans is an uncharacteristically strong month for the big Chevy. Malibu sales, like those of the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord, were lower in January 2011 than in January 2010. Subtract the Chevrolet Cobalt's 406 January sales and the Cruze is still out in front of the Hyundai Sonata.

 

[Andyoak]

Calling TBY. Calling TBY! Andyoak's comments are seriously challenging my memory banks! Perhaps as a chassis builder the Japanese may not have had much success - one championship in the sixties as a constructor (Honda) and have not many of the wins and a number of championships fallen to the hands of Japanese engine manufacturers? Honda powered Williams and McLaren?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Racing_F1
F'man, fair to question my broad brush statement about Honda. As a manufacturer team they have had limited success in the two periods they ran. The first in the 60's was interseting because of the way they went about it and arguably cut short prematurely. Without Schlesser's death it is possible to speculate that they had reasonable foundations to build a long term team; but circumstance put an end to that line of thought.

As an engine manufacturer in the 80's they were definately the engine of choice and powered the most successful teams of the time; but they were also allied to the teams with the best chassis at the time too. However, that was a 10 year period starting 30 years ago and that is a long time in F1.

There then followed a period of supplying base engines to Mugen for tuning and developing and these weren't successful. Although i have no proof, my feeling is that Honda were pretty hands-off at this time and this was more of a commercial rather than competetive arrangement.

The last 10 years were pretty ineffectual for Honda with the exception of 2006 when they were best of the rest. The reasons for their withdrawal are well documented but I think most of us here saw the writing on the wall as soon as the Earth car appeared.

Of all the Japanese manufacturers they are considered, amongst the motoring press, the most European in outlook and development and have the longest history in all aspects of motorsport. I would like to see them back as an engine supplier but I don't see it happening for some years to come. It's tenuous but you could argue that Nissan, through their ties with Renault, are the only current Japanese engine on the grid (sponsoring Red Bull as Infiniti).

Galahad succinctly summarised what I was trying to say re Wolfgang's comments... you just cant fault VAG's logic.

As I've said; I think Korea, India and China is where we will see the next complete F1 Manufacturer / engine team coming from.

 

[teabagyokel]

Brawn GP in 2009 was Honda in all but name, remember!

Honda have won 6 titles in F1 as an engine supplier; all consecutive from 1986-91.

The warning for future manufacturers is the Toyota team. I don't think anyone will want to plough money in for 7 to 8 years and not win a race!

 

[Slyboogy]

Brawn GP in 2009 was Honda in all but name, remember!

Honda have won 6 titles in F1 as an engine supplier; all consecutive from 1986-91.

The warning for future manufacturers is the Toyota team. I don't think anyone will want to plough money in for 7 to 8 years and not win a race!

That is a very good point. Honda built that car, (double diffuser was an idea made by a Super Aguri worker back in Japan) Honda funded that car, real shame for them they don't get the glory for it. Must have felt like a kick in the nuts when they saw that the car they built won races and championships but didn't have their name on it.

 

[Road of Bones]

I'm not surprised that Audi have dismissed F1 for the time being. If you consider the utter Horlicks BMW made of their entry, and the ongoing struggles Mercedes are having in maintaining competitiveness, then why would they?

Why indeed would they enter a formula that they know will take several years and extraordinarily deep pockets before they can win?

Why would they enter a formula where they cannot sip from the black pump, given that all their recent Sportscar success derives from this?

Did BMW or do Mercedes sell any extra saloons as a result of ther F1 participation? (honestly?)

Why dive into the Piranha tank, when you can see no earthly benefit from it?

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Hmm assuming McLaren don't yet go down the path of building their own engine then a partnership with them might be enticing to a member of the VW group and even without Mercedes McLaren are still the 2nd best team atm. Also I thought Mercedes stopped funding McLaren after 2010, so why are McLaren still known as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes?

 

[Slyboogy]

Hmm assuming McLaren don't yet go down the path of building their own engine then a partnership with them might be enticing to a member of the VW group and even without Mercedes McLaren are still the 2nd best team atm. Also I thought Mercedes stopped funding McLaren after 2010, so why are McLaren still known as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes?

Engine supplier, like Toro Rosso and Ferrari. Same with Sauber and Ferrari, and Force India and Mercedes so on.

It's basically just the teams full name, major sponsor then team name, then engine suppliers name all into one.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Engine supplier, like Toro Rosso and Ferrari. Same with Sauber and Ferrari, and Force India and Mercedes so on.

It's basically just the teams full name, major sponsor then team name, then engine suppliers name all into one.

I know they supply engines but whenever there is a PR thing the Lewis and Jenson always saw VMM, whereas other team wouldn't say Force India Mercedes or Sauber Ferrari.

 

[FB]

Perhaps VW or Audi (is it still VAG Group?) will buy Cosworth as Mercedes did with Ilmor and re-brand them? So, in reality the 2009 winning car was a Honda Ilmor and the 2008 car a McLaren Ilmor

Do Brian Hart or John Judd still make engines? Maybe a question for another thread. On McLaren, the TAG engine was, essentially, a McLaren engine albeit built by Porsche and paid for by TAG (so it wasn't a McLaren engine at all, really, was it FB? No, it wasn't, sorry! )

 

[Slyboogy]

I know they supply engines but whenever there is a PR thing the Lewis and Jenson always saw VMM, whereas other team wouldn't say Force India Mercedes or Sauber Ferrari.

Could be that McLaren are more PR-ish compared to the other teams, not seen many teams do much promotional stuff like McLaren or Mercedes do.

 

[Andyoak]

Judd are still going...
http://www.engdev.com/
but Hart died with Tom Walkinshaw racing (TWR)