I saw this and i wondered. Who leaves a successful team in WEC and DTM for joying F1? Is there any reason for doing it? Audi to join F1 in 2016 | Auto Express
Global exposure? Brand awareness? Let's be honest, outside of Le Mans the stands (and TV ratings) are positively abysmal for any motorsport outside of F1..... You think the stands are empty in Korea? Check them out for, eg, the Silverstone WEC race. A handful of dedicated enthusiasts and that's about it. Combine the WEC & DTM budgets and join the big boys. Plus, that pits them against Merc, who I still think are their primary rivals. Could be good! I for one would love to see it. Cheers, Ian
Believe it when I see it. VW/Audi joining F1 rumors are like mid engine Corvette rumors. Crop up every year...seems to make sense...but it never happens.
I'd be skeptical normally, but if Audi really leaves Le Mans and touring car racing and has hired Domenicali, it's obvious what they're up to. Teaming up with Red Bull makes a lot of sense, too, I suppose that RB doesn't want to have the Renault engine for much longer. Interesting times are ahead btw, I recently saw a presentation about VW's rally effort. I was seriously impressed, if they handle F1 the same way, they'll be winning in no time at all.
I hope this happens. F1 needs new blood. Its been boring the past few years. There is talk of Stefano Domenicali being team principle after Audi hired him last week
here's a related rumor: Alonso and Domenicali's involvement It is believed that they have been in talks with two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso. That news jells well with everything we've been hearing thus far. The McLaren deal is at a stand-still because Alonso is apparently keen on a one-year contract. We then learned that he may be joining Audi at Le Mans in 2015 before making his F1 return with an unspecified team come 2016. Also, in the midst of an potential racing lull, the Spaniard seems unusually confident. Let us not forget that Audi recently hired former Ferrari Formula One team principal Stefano Domenicali, who has no experience in Le Mans-level sports car racing. Audi in Formula One would also reignite a 75-year-old rivalry with fellow German automobile giant Mercedes, which is currently doing in Formula One what Audi has been doing at Le Mans for some time now ... Dominating. Could we be in for a clash of the titans in 2016? Audi joining F1 has been anticipated almost as much as the incessant pleas that Ferrari would develop a new LMP1 program.
As good as he is, he doesn't deserve any more titles if he's foolish to join another team led by Domenicalli. Neither does Audi, if that's what they're up to. Or anyone who signs Whitmarsh. Probably great guys to get a drink with, and clearly great number two's, but not team principals.
To join Mercedes perhaps? That may revive the rivalry between Mercedes and Auto-Union during the pre-war era. That was a great era, often coined as the Golden Age of Motor Racing. The Germans completely eclipsed the French, British and Italian teams to dominate GP. Only the war interupted their supremacy. Interesting news
Definitely great news. But if they are planning on taking over red bull or TR then no actual team is added to the grid 😢. Simply adds competition among engine suppliers and could result in renaults exit if no teams want their engines anymore. Makes sense for RB and TR to use the same engine supplier and lotus has just switched so effectively we are swapping Renault for Audi? (Which is nice because Audi more belong in f1 imo). The plan cannot be too much advanced otherwise Audi may have already used it's influence to get RB to sign alonso...which hasn't happened. Very unlikely he will be racing for them in 2016 imo; mclaren won't sign him for just a year no way and RB just signed kvyat and ricciardo won't be going anywhere any time soon.
It would be interesting to see Audi in F1. They know what it takes to succeed in motor racing with Dr. Ullrich in charge! I hope it is true as they have also proven their commitment, and we wouldn't get another cash strapped F1 team.
Audi's a decent sized company but not that big. Doubtful they would be able to handle Le Mans and F1. And it's doubtful VAG would shift money to Audi to support an F1 team. A car company can have only so many money pits. -F
Exactly...... The beginning of the end if Audi join. More hybrid BS and the black stuff powering the cars......... So not F1
Yet LeMans exists and is very very exciting as an event. I could care less what fuels an F1 car. Its just fuel. Good racing makes F1 better. Even with the current configuration we have had good racing this year at some circuits. The fuel is not visible to the fans.
If VW wants to get into F1, Audi is not the brand name to use. There is more upside to brand it as a Lamborghini which is controlled by Audi. If successful they upstage two rivals (Ferrari and Mercedes) at the same time.
I actually think Audi is the right brand to use. Lambo has no race pedigree of significance while Audi has tremendous racing history going back to the early F1 days, with the lineage to Auto Union.
+1 Audi would surely use the pre-war racing heritage if it was to enter F1. Memories of Stuck, Varzi, Rosemeyer and Nuvolari come to mind. The rivalry with Auto-Union and Mercedes would be revived. I guess Germany would have no problem financing one or two German GPs every year to satisfy its public.
I think we would have that problem, and rightfully so. It's not the taxpayer's task to fill Bernie's pockets.
