While Volkswagen Group is the midst of completing a merger that will put German automakers VW, Porsche and Audi brands under one ownership structure, along with Skoda, Bentley and other European brands, there are huge speculations at the Paris Motor Show that the merged company will increase its participations in the world motorsport in the near future after the termination of the merge procedures.
It is highly speculated that Volkswagen might enter Forumla 1 when the engine regulations change in 2013 in a potential partnership with Frank Williams F1 team that is looking despirately for cheap fast and robust F1 engines. In fact there is already a partneship between these 2 organisations after KERS flying wheel developed by Williams Hybrid Power Inc. has been fitted to Porsche's new 911 GT3 R Hybrid road car and debuted in Nico Hulkenberg's hands in Nordschleife.
Porsche's new chief executive Matthias Mueller was asked in Pari whether it made sense for both Porsche and Audi to compete at Le Mans.
"We do not like to both go into LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype) that is not so funny. So therefore we have to discuss whether it makes better sense for one of the brands to go into LMP1, and the other brand into Formula One. So we will have a round-table to discuss the pros and cons."
Moreover Müller expressed the desired that the new VW Group is “seriously considering,” joining Toyota as the only automakers based outside the United States to compete in NASCAR. In fact a subsequent report on MotorTrend.com said, “One of the owners that Volkswagen is considering team up with is Roger Penske, who is currently associated with Dodge and has a history of success in the stock car series.”
Yet, in order to be approved as an official NASCAR competitor, VW or any other automaker would have to formally submit its race car and engine package to NASCAR. Surely that has not happened yet and even if they do in the forthcoming season the earliest a car could be approved would be for the 2012 season.
