F1 – Audi Says No Means No

Recent reports have linked the Volkswagen family of auto manufacturers to a potential move to Formula 1 in the near future even perhaps assisting the likes of HRT. One brand name that was tossed into the circle was that of Audi. The ringed brand has told Formula 1 that they will not compete in the “pinnacle of motorsport” because it is not relevant to road car development. Wolfgang Ullrich had this to say in regards to the situation.

“We believe formula one and Audi do not fit, so long as the technology has no relevance to the development of our production cars.”

The man who has led the Audi charge in prototype racing and DTM indicated that these series deliver more to their customer than something like F1. Also cited in the reasoning was the cost. The current cap for a team to be competitive is around 150 million Euro. DTM currently sits around 30 million Euros and is investigating ways to slash costs by 50% for the 2012 season.

This does not rule out that perhaps Volkswagen, Porsche, or even somebody like Lamborghini could fill the spot on behalf of the Volkswagen parent organization. Porsche has a very successful GT program and may not look to go for F1 as well as Lamborghini may be a long shot. The best chance may be that of Volkswagen branding, but at this time nothing as certain due to the successful Dakar trucks and small rally efforts that are ongoing. Another slap to the face of Bernie Ecclestone after the “fall” of the manufacturer from the world’s motorsport top flight.

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