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The Volkswagen Group is considering entering Formula One from 2012 as an engine supplier.

The group's motorsport chief, Hans-Joachim Stuck, told Autosport that new engine regulations to be introduced to the sport aimed at cutting costs are making the sport more attractive for the firm.

VW was linked to buying into the Red Bull team a few years ago, but Stuck insisted any VW entry now would be as an engine supplier to multiple teams and not as a partner to a team in the same way Bra...Read the full article

Finally, a car manufacturer talking sense about F1!

Let's hope they keep that focus and don't get blinded by ambition to buy their own team and repeat the same mistakes of Honda, Toyota, BMW, Jaguar, Spyker, Alfa Romeo, Renault (although at least they won back-to-back championships) et al.

As a VW owner I'd be thrilled if VW entered F1 as an engine supplier - seems like a sensible way of VW competing in F1 without most of the headaches that goes with a full-blown team.

Given that VW Group engineers created the W16 engine for the Veyron and the W12 engine for the Phaeton (now also found in the Bentley Continental series), who would bet against their engineers pulling an epic F1 engine out of the bag too?

R32:

Given that VW Group engineers created the W16 engine for the Veyron and the W12 engine for the Phaeton (now also found in the Bentley Continental series), who would bet against their engineers pulling an epic F1 engine out of the bag too?

Doesn't VW still own Cosworth Engineering, or did they sell it on? Can't remember but you're right they do have the engineering expertise one way or another.

Just as well that they're not going to build the whole car, otherwise they probably try to base it on the Golf platform...

Lee23404:

R32:

Given that VW Group engineers created the W16 engine for the Veyron and the W12 engine for the Phaeton (now also found in the Bentley Continental series), who would bet against their engineers pulling an epic F1 engine out of the bag too?

Doesn't VW still own Cosworth Engineering, or did they sell it on? Can't remember but you're right they do have the engineering expertise one way or another.

you're right. VW sold Cosworth Technology to Mahle group of Germany in 2004. It's now part of Mahle Powertrain. Mahle Powertrain Ltd, Costin House, Northampton, are the boys behind much of McLaren's engine for the MP12-4C as I understand it.

Lee23404:

Doesn't VW still own Cosworth Engineering, or did they sell it on? Can't remember but you're right they do have the engineering expertise one way or another.

No, they owned Cosworth Technology until end of 2004 and then sold it on to another German engineering company (Mahle?). I'm pretty sure that this was the side of the business that doesn't do the F1 engines... The engine side is, I think, owned by the guys who used to run the US CART series.

 I am an F1 fan and look forward to this.

But can someone remind me what the regulation changes are in 2012 as i get confused. In what way will engines be cheaper?

 

R32:

Given that VW Group engineers created the W16 engine for the Veyron and the W12 engine for the Phaeton (now also found in the Bentley Continental series), who would bet against their engineers pulling an epic F1 engine out of the bag too?

 

No doubting their engineering ingenuity. Very different challenge though, limited to the same capacity/cylinders/power etc as everybody else. Requires some outisde-the-box thinking if you want to slice off those hundredths.

Yes Lee23404, but unfortunately you've still got the matter of a good car to put it in, and then finding top drivers, and even with their resources and a recession going on, 2012 seems a bit optomistic, don't you?

It might say VW on the box, but will it be VW?

Or Porsche?

SpiritOfSenna:

It might say VW on the box, but will it be VW?

Or Porsche?

 

Good point. The devil is in the detail.