JANUARY 30, 2012

Will VW Group look to enter Formula 1?

The German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche has quoted Bentley chairman and chief executive Wolfgang Durheimer saying that that he intends to propose a future F1 programme to the Volkswagen Group.

VW Motorsport boss Kris Nissen said only last year that F1 was too expensive and too far removed from road car production, but Durheimer is saying that in terms of global penetration, F1 is the only motorsport that is a serious option.

Durheimer says that the group is targeting sales in the Americas, Asia and Middle East. Some 45% of VW's sales are in Asia. The compositions of today's F1 calendar is much better suited to Durheimer's stated aims than it would have been five or 10 years ago.

It is also worth remembering that the VW Group owns a number of both prestige and everyday brands; Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat and Skoda.

Although merely speculation at this point, the suggestion is that the company may arrive in F1 as an engine supplier initially, rather than involving itself in establishing or buying a team.

Any F1 programme would inevitably be a serious effort in need of a highly credible partner and it strikes us that one stands out like a sore thumb. McLaren currently has a Mercedes engine deal, of course, and has said publicly that it is quite happy with the arrangement.

Woking and Stuttgart were previously equity partners, however, something that is no longer the case. Further down the line it seems inevitable that McLaren will be looking for a new partner. Depending on the level of investment, VW or one of its brands seems entirely logical, provided that any tie-up does not clash with McLaren Automotive's marketing plans.

With brands such as Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini or Porsche, it is easy to visualise a situation where that might be the case. So what's it to be, a McLaren-Audi or a McLaren-VW? Because, however good the product these days, we can't quite see a McLaren-Skoda squaring with Britain's best luxury brand!