Audi to join F1 in 2016
Discussion
MitchT said:
If I were Audi (NB. owning Lamborghini) I'd enter F1 under the Lamborghini name so we could have a second glamorous Italian supercar name in F1.
Got to be an improvement on their last crack as an engine supplier. Personally I'd enter as Skoda just for the day a Skoda leads a Ferrari 
RBR would surely be an expensive buy? and STR wouldn't be that sensible unless RB technology where included or Audi would have to provide those services from scratch. Hitting the ground running in only 18 months with both a competitive engine and chassis seems optimistic TBH.
This surely means that '15 WEC campaign is effectively dead and would run only as a zombie team in terms of budget needing to be relocated to F1 basically now. Ditto for DTM.
The facilities used by Audi to support WEC/Lemans must be capable of producing and running a F1 programme in place of WEC. The new Audi Neuburg facility seems somewhat redundant if DTM and WEC are being dropped to make way for a F1 team based out of an existing operation.
This surely means that '15 WEC campaign is effectively dead and would run only as a zombie team in terms of budget needing to be relocated to F1 basically now. Ditto for DTM.
The facilities used by Audi to support WEC/Lemans must be capable of producing and running a F1 programme in place of WEC. The new Audi Neuburg facility seems somewhat redundant if DTM and WEC are being dropped to make way for a F1 team based out of an existing operation.
t. I would like to see Audi in F1, but I doubt it will happen for a long, long time!TVR1 said:
MG511 said:
Is this being reported anywhere more reputable/believable than Auto Express?
yeah..... 
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Although I was 6 months shy. Source was Wolfgang Ullrich but couldn't say so at the time.
Well that didn't last long, from twitter this afternoon....
Audi Sport
@Audi__Sport
- Audi in F1? There rumors keep appearing with regularity since years. It's pure speculation again this time and without any foundation
@Audi__Sport
- Audi Sport is committed to the @FIAWEC , @DTM and GT racing. In 2015 we will add the Audi Sport TT Cup to our program #welcomechallenges
Audi racing Porsche in LPM1 must make little sense at VAG boardroom level.
Winning Le Mans makes big news one weekend a year. ŴEC hardly offers the big exposure that being an F1 engine supplier to a couple of teams does.
Following the business model of Honda and Renault makes much better business sense than buying a team. Norbert Haug fell on his sword for getting those numbers completely wrong.
Winning Le Mans makes big news one weekend a year. ŴEC hardly offers the big exposure that being an F1 engine supplier to a couple of teams does.
Following the business model of Honda and Renault makes much better business sense than buying a team. Norbert Haug fell on his sword for getting those numbers completely wrong.
MiniMan64 said:
So they can keep destroying any challenger that comes along at Le Mans or chance running as also rans in F1?
Hmmmm, I wonder.....
Most people don't evan know what le mans is though do they? doesn't really have much of a public profile. Entering F1 would very much be a logical step, and don't discount the boardroom level irritation that some other german car makers currently covering themselves in glory will provoke. Ze germans do love a good fight, and with VAG as the current most profitable carmaker in the world would hardly notice the pinch...Hmmmm, I wonder.....
And as they're all one big loving family they could send a lot of their lmp secrets to porsche so they can hit the ground running, in return for a big $ commitment to F1 from mum and dad. haha.
But like said "VAG to enter F1" has been a story for the twenty-whatever years I've been following the sport so I'll believe it when I see it.
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