Volkswagen confirms WRC exit

[gamer19]

World Rally Championship's leading manufacturer Volkswagen will cease its involvement in the category at the end of the 2016 season.

The announcement brings a conclusion to VW's ultra-successful WRC programme, with the marque capturing four successive manufacturers' titles and four drivers' titles – all courtesy of Sebastien Ogier – since its full-time entry in 2013.

Arriving three days on after VW clinched its 43rd WRC victory and its fourth title at Rally Wales, the news follows on from fellow Volkswagen Group manufacturer Audi's recent exit from the World Endurance Championship.

Both developments are believed to be intrinsically tied with the losses VW Group suffered from its highly-publicised emissions scandal in 2015.

"The Volkswagen brand is facing enormous challenges. With the upcoming expansion in electrification of our vehicle range we must focus all our efforts on important future technologies.

"We far exceeded our sporting goals in the WRC, now we are realigning Volkswagen Motorsport and moving the vehicle technology of the future more starkly into focus,” said VW's Frank Welsch.

“At the same time, Volkswagen is going to focus more on customer racing. As well as the Golf GTI TCR on the circuit track and the Beetle GRC in rallycross, we also want to offer customers top products and will develop a new Polo according to R5 regulations."

With Volkswagen bowing out, the WRC is set to feature four constructor teams – Citroen, Hyundai, M-Sport and the newly-arriving Toyota – in the 2017 season, where new technical regulations will come into effect.

Ogier and teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen, who have looked set to continue in the WRC on an already-developed 2017-spec VW Polo R, will now all have to find new avenues for the continuation of their careers.

"I want to give our heartfelt thanks to our drivers and co-drivers for their outstanding achievements. They are not only unbelievably quick, but also extremely effective ambassadors for the Volkswagen brand," added Welsch.


What's going on with these German companies ? First that Audi case now this. I don't care much about wec tbh but rally... I do. Such a sad news. At least Toyota will be there. And maybe VW stay as some private team, such as M-sport for Ford or like Citroen/Loeb some time ago form private team out of factory team.

 

[BoogerMac]

Is this more fallout from the engine debacle from the US emissions testing? Or a legitimate business move?

 

[gamer19]

Who knows ?
I guess they will never admit it has anything with it.
We have their side of the story, and it's in the article there, just... not sure should we take it for granted.
Too bad, just too bad. I really love rally and I even get used to smaller and smaller and weaker cars almost every year in a row but this is another blow into this fine series.

 

[Grand Tourist]

Apparently some car companies tend to confuse "innovative technology" with "malicious software" .

 

[TTupsi]

According to YLE Nasser Al-Attiyah has given an interview and stated that he's "doing all he can" to ensure Volkswagen stays in WRC in 2017. According to the article the team (not sure if VW or Al-Attiyah's private team) has run tests with the Polo last week in Sweden with Marcus Grönholm behind the wheel. It might not be the end of VW just yet... Remember 2006 and Kronos Racing running the Citroën team while the works team was away briefly?

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

The Sweden test was an official VW test. As they wanted a proper send-off, and that way the car got homologated as it should.

Also, remember that Qatar is the third biggest owner of VAG, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Nasser would pull it off. Now, the important thing is. If he manages to rent the 2017 Polo WRC. They would need to have a minimum of 2 cars at every rally during the first year, if not the homologation will not be valid.