Audi into F1 and out of WEC (LeMans) and DTM
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/89...oin-f1-in-2016
Rumor: Audi to F1 in 2016
Audi into F1 and out of WEC (LeMans) and DTM
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/89...oin-f1-in-2016
Hmmm
Nope not going to happen.
It has been a rumor for about 6 years now, predating even the USF1 experiment. If anyone could pull it off, they could, though I don't see them wanting to play in Bernie's sandbox. The work they do in endurance racing directly relates to the technology in their road cars. It's at the very least, a justifiable expense. F1 would not be, IMO.
Sounds like wishful thinking, but at the same time Audi and Porsche are both part of Volkswagen, so I've been wondering if there might be some reorganizing of their racing efforts.
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
You'd think they consolidate the lemans stuff and dominate before moving to something totally new......
Much of lemans can be justified as a true test platform. F1 is much more indirect...
That's sarcasm, right?Originally Posted by BeerBudgetRacing
Audi has won every 24 Hours of LeMans since 2000 except two—they finished second to Peugeot in 2009, and in 2003—with Audi's factory support & drivers—Bentley finished 1 & 2 with Audi privateers in 3rd and 4th. If that's not dominance in contemporary motorsports, I don't know what is.
in fact - audi has been so complexity dominating, no one wants to bother trying to compete with them. so maybe Audi is bored with "no one to race"
but isn't Ferrari leaving F1 to go race lemans? hahaha
BT29-24 Swift DB1 Matra M530
I think Audi is ticked off by Mercedes domination in F1 this year and see's them taking some marketing strength away from Audi. So, maybe they want to go after Mercedes?
After all, AUDI is Auto Union at heart.
But I also think it would be crazy of them to surrender their domination of endurance racing to go in to F1!
CREW for Jeff 89 Reynard or Flag & Comm.
I wonder if they will supply an engine to say Red Bull, who they have very strong ties to, or buy a team like Torro Rosso from Red Bull and run it as Audi directly. Also, I think these days that the true hybrid power technology in F1 has tremendous relevance to road car research and development. I wouldn't be surprised if they are running a current spec F-1 engine or elements thereof on a dyno right now.
After all, they can just let Porsche dominate endurance racing for a while...
Brian
I think Rick has it right. The attention that Mercedes has gathered is likely something that Audi cant ignore.
Whatever the reasons, I would love to see this happen.
OK, I'll give you some reasons:)
In no particular order,
LE Mans is an annual event, while F1 is practically continuous year round.
The French have surrendered; what else does Auto Union have to prove at Le Mans?
Why continue competing with your corporate half brother Ferdinand's progeny for a trophy that has by all rights resided in Ingolstadt, Bavaria for the last decade?
I'm sure your fertile imaginations can outstrip my limited resources...
"You GO Now"
Rick
This would be an opportune time to jump into F1. Caterham is in recievership, Marussia won't be going to USGP or Brazil either, and Sauber has been struggling financially as well. (18 cars on the grid in Austin.) Some good deals could be had there. It would make the most sense for Audi to go after Sauber.
Wonder if Gene Haas is considering?????
Anyway, the thought of Audi and M-B duking it out is intriguing...
Lola: When four springs just aren't enough.
Endurance racing takes place all year all around the globe, including the US (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta), so I don't think a one-race show is all Audi is about with their LMP cars.
Then what else does Ferrari have to prove in F1 (221 wins, 16 Constructor's Championships) or the New York Yankees (27 World Series wins) in baseball?The French have surrendered; what else does Auto Union have to prove at Le Mans?
Aren't sibling rivalries also the most heated?Why continue competing with your corporate half brother Ferdinand's progeny for a trophy that has by all rights resided in Ingolstadt, Bavaria for the last decade?I know that every time I'm ever on a track with Keith, he's the one I want to beat most. I would guess Audi would have similar feelings toward Porsche, who had once been the undisputed kings of LeMans. Seems as good of a reason as any to stay.
With F1 such a mess right now—the lack of technological freedom in the rule books (compared to endurance racing), one monopolizing tire company (Audi has deep ties to Michelin), teams falling into financial discord at an alarming rate, it's like looking at a Hollywood starlet coming out of rehab for the third time. I don't know how anyone could look at it and think, "yeah, I need to get some of that." Oh yeah, and the amount of money she will cost you is incalculable.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge fan of the VAG group—Kim and I have collectively owned more than 20 VW or Audi cars. I am a founding partner of VWvortex.com, and I still have very close ties to the brands. I would LOVE to root for Audi in the F1 area, but I just don't see it happening. Anything is possible, but something tells me that it isn't happening anytime soon. I may have to tap into some of my resources to see if there is anything to the rumor...
Well said. I came to make this very point.
Ditto, but we are in the era of bean-counters, so...Then what else does Ferrari have to prove in F1 (221 wins, 16 Constructor's Championships) or the New York Yankees (27 World Series wins) in baseball?
Be sure to share any rumors you come across, Doug, but consider this: the last existential crisis F1 went through came close to being resolved by the OEMs buying the whole kit and repositioning it as a true manufacturers' championship to dramatically reduce costs. If F1 is really in that bad of financial straits, something like that could still happen. And if VAG owned one of the franchises, well...it just seems odd that VAG is the only major EU auto company without a seat at the table.I would LOVE to root for Audi in the F1 area, but I just don't see it happening. Anything is possible, but something tells me that it isn't happening anytime soon. I may have to tap into some of my resources to see if there is anything to the rumor...
A diesel F1 car, anyone?
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
So, just a question for those who may have some historic perspective:
Why no Porsche in F1? It's sort of like the SCCA - Porsche seems to be persona non grata for some unfathomable reason. I find that odd, since Porsche is arguably the most successful performance car franchise in history - they are certainly the most profitable (maybe because they don't spend as much on racing pursuits).
Marshall Mauney
Milwaukee Region
TAG-McLaren?
Caldwell D9B - Sold
Crossle' 30/32/45 Mongrel - Sold
RF94 Monoshock - here goes nothin'
It's coming...
A diesel F1 car, anyone?
Before the Tag-Mclaren, Porsche tried F1 and even got their and Dan Gurney's first win, but Porsche was committed to air cooled engines and even then it was clear they wouldn't be able to make enough power out of a 1.5 liter engine to overcome the frontal area deficit imposed by their chassis (Colin Chapman was already shrinking frontal area at a great rate.)
Peter Olivola
(polivola@gmail.com)
Domenicali signs with Audi
I still say they should just buy Sauber, but Domenicali is a good start.
Lola: When four springs just aren't enough.
AUDI has told Autoweek they have NO PLANS to enter Formula One in the near future and they are NOT talking to Alonso. They have hired Montezemolo after his departure from Ferrari but he will not be utilized in any racing capacity.
They are quite happy with World Endurance racing and DTM at the moment.
CREW for Jeff 89 Reynard or Flag & Comm.
The consensus rumor on Domenicali seems to be that he was brought in to help with the Ducati MotoGP team, so it may very well have nothing to do with F1.
Matt King
FV19 Citation XTC-41
CenDiv-Milwaukee
KEEP THE KINK!
WEC is where it's at. When LMP disappoints, which is rare, you alway have GT classes. Not that the GT classes aren't interesting in their own right. Even the people who love F1, me included, are quickly becoming disenfranchised by the sport. DRS, double points, a complete lack of technological evolution, and now small grids. Blah. You know it's gotten bad when the tech articles are discussing what team has the best designed wang on the front of their car. The Audi's however have been inspiring for years, and they are even more so now that they are outpaced, but remain the winners of the 24. Audi has no reason to step into F1 but every reason to stay in WEC.
Chris Livengood, enjoying underpriced ferrous whizzy bits that I hacked out in my tool shed since 1999.
Interesting read from Marshall Pruett over at Racer.com regardigng Audi to F1
http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints...audi-f1-rumors
I'm thinkin it could happen...
follow the money...
the article says it all...to the previous posts regarding bean-counters...
You can actually earn money in F1 (championship points = slice of TV money), and they already have the technical credo to keep from being a Caterham/Marussia, so the expectation is to earn money.
Though Toyota's expectation was the same...
Thanks to MP for placing Audi's new plant dim's
• Audi Sport has spent 2014 moving from its base in Ingolstadt – a former grocery store (not kidding – I've been there) into a new technical center based in Neuburg. Audi Sport's new, dedicated building is 300 feet wide and 900 feet long (the width of an NFL football field and the length of three NFL fields...).Thanks to MP for converting Audi's new plant dim's into units of measure we're most familiar with... (Audi PR probably did the ~metric conversions for US markets)
Damned Discovery Channel!
"You GO Now"
Rick
I can't speak for you guys, but when I think Caterham I think this...
Not this...
Oh...and that proboscis? Looks like it belongs on a mosquito, not a proper racing car.
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
Proboscis
Just to save other people from Googling it like I had to....
pro·bos·cis
noun
the nose of a mammal, especially when it is long and mobile, such as the trunk of an elephant or the snout of a tapir.
ENTOMOLOGY
(in many insects) an elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible.
ZOOLOGY
(in some worms) an extensible tubular sucking organ.
I learn something everyday......but I seem to forget more than I learn these days.
Well, it does suck... so the definition fits
Ty Handke
HMST Inc.
Its actually TWICE as wide as a football field.... 50ish yards is ~~ 150ft.• Audi Sport has spent 2014 moving from its base in Ingolstadt – a former grocery store (not kidding – I've been there) into a new technical center based in Neuburg. Audi Sport's new, dedicated building is 300 feet wide and 900 feet long (the width of an NFL football field and the length of three NFL fields...).Thanks to MP for converting Audi's new plant dim's into units of measure we're most familiar with
Damned Discovery Channel!
I think American football is the reason we never went metric.
We'd rather just be measurement bi-lingual
http://politics.slashdot.org/story/1...t-we-dont-careIts actually TWICE as wide as a football field.... 50ish yards is ~~ 150ft.
I think American football is the reason we never went metric.
"You GO Now"
Rick
Bi-lingual
My wife and I refer to our kids as being bi-lingual.
They speak both American English and English.
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