How many times have we seen the headline VW to join F1? The worlds largest car maker are again in the headlines with F1 a consideration being taken seriously.
In 2014/15, Stefano Dominicali led a feasibility study for the group last time they were looking to break into F1. Back then, most likely as an engine supplier only.
Now Liberty are in the captains chair and a certain little man from Norfolk (Mr Bernie Ecclestone) put to pasture (we think), the huge car giant are again looking at F1. If they were to join the paddock, it’ll almost certainly be with one of their sub brands such as Bugatti or Bentley.
Yes the title of the article is rather fanciful BUT, the romance of having either Bentley or Bugatti race in F1 would surely make any fan tremble with excitement.
The whole reason for the buzz is president and CEO of Bugatti and Bentley Wolfgang Dürheimer’s comments made today.
“From my point of view, the whole topic is currently being mixed up again. It is an absolute new beginning to recognize,” comments Wolfgang Dürheimer to the German media.
“If such a new start is to be recognised, then one must, of course, also put the previous decisions to the test and re-evaluate it,”
Make any fan tremble?? Really?
Bugatti have an even more tenuous link with their past than the Mercedes team. Forget the break of decades, at least Mercedes maintained a manufacturing presence throughout their self imposed exile.
Bugatti have gone from being a serious elite racing car manufacturer, to an Italian owned foible in the 90’s, to today’s ill thought out VW owned dragster.
Big price big power big speed. But a dragster in all but name…
As to Bentley… they have no single seater heritage and all success has been in long distance events.
I remember Jaguar joining F1 to be the green Ferrari. Quite a success wasn’t it.
Well, Bentley did go to le mans after an abstinence of 70 something years and won it. Granted it’s already 13 years ago but still. If they set their mind to it I’d like to see it!
Is that the Bentley team that the previous year had designed the Audi challenger?
Didn’t they go back to Audi the following year?
Bentley didn’t go back to Le Mans, they just painted the Audi green.
Not quite. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_Speed_8 they shared some things but it still was bentley
Was the Bently Britsh or German?
This was an interesting article 🙂
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/bentley-speed-8
As quoted in the article above:
Elleray’s relentless drive to extract evermore minute parcels of efficiencies is, he says, the English way. “Optimize everything.” And to the trained eye the approach is quite distinct. According to Elleray, one of the Germans looked at the car and said, wistfully: “You’ve built a Spitfire.”
What’s wrong with being belgian, I ask myself. As I am one 😋
I agree. Why don’t we look at resurrecting Cooper, Connaught, BRM or……………..
Volkswagen has a lot of brands to choose from: Audi, Porsche, seat, skoda… Lamborghini
For me Lamborghini would do the job, but if I were a marketer at Volkswagen, I would go for Audi
For many supercar buyers, the choice will be between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. Gaining F1 credibility for the Lamborghini name to match that of Ferrari would surely therefore very much be on VW’s wishlist. Then again, persistently finishing behind Ferrari very definitely wouldn’t be. So VW, do you feel lucky…?
Bernie is NOT from Norfolk. He is from just outside Halesworth in Suffolk.
They celebrate each year under the 50ft solid gold statue of him.
VW? A company with a proven record of finding a way of circumventing regulations in order to improve the performance of its cars? Why would they think F1 was a good place for … ah. Never mind! 🙂
Two spelling mistakes in the title. The world’s….carmaker is..
Quite a debate! Don’t think Guido’s reply contributed much. Have just posted a little known fact about Bugatti on carswithasideofcouscous.wordpress.com. See post “The Most Expensive Substance Known to Man”. Hope I didn’t make any spelling mistakes.