Share

VW not interested in F1

London - Volkswagen quashed speculation on Thursday that it could expand its motorsport activities to include NASCAR and Formula One.

"Nothing for us. There is certainly the one or the other person out there in the world that would wish for that, but we don't have that on the programme," said Ulrich Hackenberg, head of technical development at the Volkswagen brand, when asked about NASCAR.

"I should know what I am talking about, since it would come out of my budget."

He also ruled out any interest in joining Formula One.

There has been speculation for months over whether VW would enter NASCAR with a factory team to bolster its appeal in the US market, where it lags Japanese and Korean carmakers by a large margin.

As a brand, Volkswagen is most present in motorsport through its participation in the annual Dakar rally now held in South America, where VW's factory driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar won this year with his Racing Touareg.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 817 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 407 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE