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Frank Williams wants his F1 team to be used to run Volkswagen Group’s expected entry into the sport from 2013, according to a report in Germany.

Williams last won a race in 2004 when it was supported by the works BMW outfit, before it switched to Sauber. The British team has used Toyota and Cosworth engines since then in a period of relative uncompetitiveness and Williams is keen to see works power return to the team.

“We are stronger with a manufacturer than as a private team,” Wi...Read the full article

Well I genuinely hope VW Group steer clear of the financial drain (and sham) that Formula 1 is.  VW Group do not need to enter the sport to sell cars and should just stick to what they do best - designing, engineering and building great cars.  They already have other motorsport interests so I can't see the logic in them wanting to enter a sport that is clearly in terminal decline.

 Would be excellent to see VW supporting F1. If they took over Williams it would save them a lot of money in start up costs, they could enter earlier than 2013.

 

R32:

Well I genuinely hope VW Group steer clear of the financial drain (and sham) that Formula 1 is.

Isn't the main reason for these large companies joining F1 so that the executives and their friends can have a posh trip around the world and meet other rich or famous people?

You get to have sex with Naomi Campbell too allegedly.

I wonder if VAG will use Skoda like Renault are hooking up with Lada..?

beachland2:

Would be excellent to see VW supporting F1. If they took over Williams it would save them a lot of money in start up costs, they could enter earlier than 2013.

Well, there is also another team that is almost certainly going to be for sale, located in Switzerland, and much closer to VW, Audi, Lamborghini or Skoda HQs... 

Which is probably why Sir Frank is talking up Williams being an attractive purchase, since he has never wanted to sell any of it until now.

 

"And of course we have an affinity with Germany. I remember well, quite early on, we went to the races with VW buses - we sometimes even slept in them...."

I wonder if I can get Ford to give me a WRC car? I once owned a Cortina.

With the VW Group participating in F1 I can only assume then that the works Audi team will be withdrawn from sportscar racing, with all the resources poured into F1. If VW couldn't afford/allow a works Audi team to compete with Bentley at Le Mans on an equal level, what chance of VW sustaining huge amounts of money being spent on 2 levels of motorpsort that are equally draining, finanicially, and advanced.

I suspect it's more that they must be into diminishing returns from the promotional value of winning Le Mans over and over again (last year excepted, of course).  A VW Group entry into F1 would surely be run under the Audi banner to go head to head with Mercedes, and would time nicely with the R15's likely retirement from sports car racing in a couple of years.

Still think they would be better off buying Sauber.  Audi's motorsport programs have traditionally been run in-house, and they would have an easier time integrating VWG management into Sauber than the traditionally-independently-run Williams.  Honda, Renault, BMW and Toyota all found that Frank and Patrick do what Frank and Patrick want, for better or for worse.  But buying BMW's old racing team might be too bitter a pill for Volkswagen...

 

I would hope Frank isn't thinking of selling out to VAG; they'll run it for three years, win perhaps one race then when all the senior bods have had enough of globe trotting and appearing on TV, they'll pull the plug. Just like all the others.

F1 needs privateers like Williams.  Then again, neither he nor Patrick are getting any younger, perhaps the delights of retirement are increasingly appealing...