VW rules out IndyCar programme

[Giuseppe F1]

Big blow for IndyCar IMO!

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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80817



Volkswagen Motorsport boss Kris Nissen reckons it is unlikely that any part of the VW group will go ahead with an IndyCar Series programme at present.

Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche - all part of the VW/Audi group - had joined Honda and Fiat for initial talks over IndyCar's future engine rules package, which is set to be introduced in 2012.

But Nissen does not see the brands committing to the American category in the short term.

"I am not 100 per cent sure of the latest status. But I think it is not realistic for the moment that the VW group will do it," he told AUTOSPORT.

He believes the time is not yet right for VW to expand its racing involvement - and that IndyCar needs to be in a stronger position before the German firm can commit to it....

[Lousada]

VW just posted another record revenue and a worldwide increase in marketshare. I wonder when is the right time to expand racing involvement.

Anyway it is still a long time till 2012. I think we don't even have the precise regulations for that time?? Much can change in the meantime.

[Chamoo]

VW just posted another record revenue and a worldwide increase in marketshare. I wonder when is the right time to expand racing involvement.

Anyway it is still a long time till 2012. I think we don't even have the precise regulations for that time?? Much can change in the meantime.

Fine, 2012 might be a ways away, but engines for 2012 need to be started soon, probably by mid 2010.

[anthonyvop]

VW just posted another record revenue and a worldwide increase in marketshare. I wonder when is the right time to expand racing involvement.


They are expanding but they aren't stupid. VW is a world wide company and there are plenty of series out there that will give them more bang for their buck.

They are expanding their IRC, Grand-Am, F-3 and touring car programs.
Audi is expanding into GT racing.
Porsche is taking this year easy and will be back with a vengeance in 2011.

[Wilf]

VW just posted another record revenue and a worldwide increase in marketshare. I wonder when is the right time to expand racing involvement.

They aren't concerned about their abilities. Its hard to envision anyone investing with a self destructing family.

[philipbain]

Is it wrong to suggest using the same engine formula that F1 currently have - Honda have a suitable powerplant in mothballs and it would be a straight forward way of other manufacturers of participating as if they enter F1 (as VW have been considering) they could use one program to service both series and with further cost containment and environmental innovations in F1 due with the next round of engine regs I think Indycar could do a lot worse than shadow the F1 engine regs or even officially partner F1 for engine regs, it could have the spin-off benefit of increasing awareness of Indycar worldwide.

[Chamoo]

Is it wrong to suggest using the same engine formula that F1 currently have - Honda have a suitable powerplant in mothballs and it would be a straight forward way of other manufacturers of participating as if they enter F1 (as VW have been considering) they could use one program to service both series and with further cost containment and environmental innovations in F1 due with the next round of engine regs I think Indycar could do a lot worse than shadow the F1 engine regs or even officially partner F1 for engine regs, it could have the spin-off benefit of increasing awareness of Indycar worldwide.

There were rumors that plans were in the works to create common engine regulations amongst numerous racing series (I believe some of the series mentioned were F1, Indycar, WRC). Of course this would make a lot of sense in most ways but would also raise concerns in other areas.

Personally, I don't want Indycar to follow F1. I want Indycar to be seperate from F1, however I can see the economical benefits to running the same engines.

[Easy Drifter]

Running the same engine or slightly altered versions (not modified) as F1 would make sense, although you would probably should open it up to all manufacturers to be fair. No picking one or two and saying no to the rest.
This would, of course, make sound business sense so there is less than zero chance IC will adopt it. :eek:

[TURN3]

This is a blow and I've just about had enough. Unless there are concrete plans to put a new car and/or/at least engine in place next year (2011), I'm done. It has become so hard to stay excited about the crap product, I can't take it any longer. I realize this is likely the last season I follow or attend IndyCar events but there are other things in life that I can get a thrill from (i.e. Barnum & Bailey's 3 ring cirucs, Golden Girls, etc.) Enough is enough, fans need to start boycotting so the new leadership wakes up. I've boycotted LBGP the past 2 years and only plan to go this year to get my King Taco and Tecate from Ken!

[NickFalzone]

This is a blow and I've just about had enough. Unless there are concrete plans to put a new car and/or/at least engine in place next year (2011), I'm done. It has become so hard to stay excited about the crap product, I can't take it any longer. I realize this is likely the last season I follow or attend IndyCar events but there are other things in life that I can get a thrill from (i.e. Barnum & Bailey's 3 ring cirucs, Golden Girls, etc.) Enough is enough, fans need to start boycotting so the new leadership wakes up. I've boycotted LBGP the past 2 years and only plan to go this year to get my King Taco and Tecate from Ken!

You can't be serious. You think there is actually any chance at all that they will be racing a new engine and/or chassis by 2011? Chassis still in design, engine package to be determined. They've been saying 2012 for awhile now, and that's starting to seem optimistic to me. My guess would be a 2 manu engine with tunable turbo around 650 range, and the delta chassis. With some luck, they will manage all that for some testing early into the 2011 season. Like the Brazil race, it feels like things will be put off until the last minute (whether the IRL's fault or not).

[Jag_Warrior]

I think it was just Max Mosley saying that he'd like to see a "world engine" for FIA categories by 2013, assuming the manufacturers would take up the idea. As far as I know, the only OEM manufacturer that made a positive comment was VAG... the same one that is saying no to IRL involvement. And with Spanky Mosley now put out to pasture, who knows what Prez Todt thinks about this. Probably whatever Ferrari/FIAT thinks. :D

The way this has been dragging on for almost two years, I'm beginning to wonder if it's not like what CART did in the mid/late 90's, when it was considering a new engine formula. Mercedes and the others were keen to try something new. But CART (under the magnificent Mr. Andrew Craig, I believe) drug its feet and drug its feet, until finally the players gave up and just stuck with what they had (except for Mercedes, which left the series).

If I was a betting man, I'd bet that either Honda will be the only player and they'll have the most say in deciding the new engine formula (if there's to be a new engine formula) or, as before, everybody will eventually throw their hands in the air and they'll just stick with some version of what they have now.

But most of the OEM's have now left F1. So I don't see any chance (if there ever was a chance) that this world engine concept will get legs anytime soon. And since Cosworth's F1 "affordable" engine option runs over $8 million per season, even some detuned version of that (or the Honda version) would surely run several hundred percent more than what the IRL teams can barely afford now.

[Mark in Oshawa]

This is a blow and I've just about had enough. Unless there are concrete plans to put a new car and/or/at least engine in place next year (2011), I'm done. It has become so hard to stay excited about the crap product, I can't take it any longer. I realize this is likely the last season I follow or attend IndyCar events but there are other things in life that I can get a thrill from (i.e. Barnum & Bailey's 3 ring cirucs, Golden Girls, etc.) Enough is enough, fans need to start boycotting so the new leadership wakes up. I've boycotted LBGP the past 2 years and only plan to go this year to get my King Taco and Tecate from Ken!

Ummmm I don't know if you noticed, but most fans already are in boycott. It is why the races are on VS and NOT on ESPN's main network and paying money to the series for the broadcasts.

VW isn't on board because they don't see this series growing and going forward. The series is on the precipice. Until they back away from the cliff and show some decent growth, you cannot expect them to develop a motor for the IRL. I think Honda will because they have an interest already in the series and the US Market is important to them.

As for the IRL using some form of F1 motors, I hope not. The price of admission for f1 engines is silly, and I cant see them made more economical without taking a lot of the high tech stuff off like the ceramics, the air actuated valves, and the like.

The new Indy car engine formula should be a derivative of what we have now, just with a slightly more open formula to help encourage new manufacturers...

[SFChamp]

Smart Move By VW This Series Is A Dog With Fleas!!!!!!!!

[Chamoo]

Smart Move By VW This Series Is A Dog With Fleas!!!!!!!!

Thats fine, we have flea shampoo somewhere.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Smart Move By VW This Series Is A Dog With Fleas!!!!!!!!
It aint THAT bad. Besides, you don't get rid of a good dog, even with fleas.....