MAY 11, 2002

Volkswagen says no F1

VOLKSWAGEN chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder was in the Formula 1 paddock in Austria but the new boss of the giant German car company continues to insist that there are no plans for VW to enter the sport.

Frans-Josef Paefgen, the head of Volkswagen's sporting activities reiterated this point, telling The Financial Times that "there is a group review of who does what in motorsport. But for VW there will definitely be no F1 program."

The company is expected to concentrate on sports car racing but it is not yet clear with which brand this will be, although rumors suggest it will be Bentley.