[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

[Simmi]

So, VWs position in the WRC was not as certain as i believed in the outset.

Jost Capito is a VERY clever man, and nothing he does comes by chance or accident.
He is off cource informed of what happens in VW around this "SmokeGate."
Mathias Müller seems certain to be the New man in the driving seat, as some very prominent heads start rolling in the VAG concern.

Capito, a master of strategy and details, suddenly has the urge to tell the world (or more rightly, tell the New CEO) that VW is always in for the long haul, that they want Citroën like dominance, he paints a picture of a dinner with the cup and all the badges of Citroëns victories.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120946

This can have no other explanation than Capito being VERY concerned about the future of the WRC program.
Why did it take me two days to realize the importance of Capitos statements to Autosport?
Well, most often big companies patch over these things by firing a few leaders, making a good excuse, and coming up with a swift escape plan. Well, seems that they are taking this a bit more seriously. They are firing, amongst others, Ulrich Hackenburg, who has been an extremely successful head of development in Audi. This means that they are taking this all the way.

On a side note: The most probable new CEO, Müller, was the head of strategy in VW to I thinnk 2008, wich has to be the period when this Nox-scam was planned.

Well, lets keep our fingers crossed for VW in the WRC!

Let's just get some context. For what you're saying about Capito to apply - he would have needed to be aware of the dieselgate issue and also know that it was about to be revealed to the world.

Don't assume that just because a story is published on a given date that that's when the quotes were gathered. In actual fact that piece appeared in Motorsport News a full week before it was published on Autosport (so September 16th) - and the interview likely took place at Rally Australia. Way before all this blew up. They often spread out their stories across the week on Autosport.com. Publishing this one a week late felt particularly lazy, especially given what had happened since.

[Lundefaret]

Let's just get some context. For what you're saying about Capito to apply - he would have needed to be aware of the dieselgate issue and also know that it was about to be revealed to the world.

Don't assume that just because a story is published on a given date that that's when the quotes were gathered. In actual fact that piece appeared in Motorsport News a full week before it was published on Autosport (so September 16th) - and the interview likely took place at Rally Australia. Way before all this blew up. They often spread out their stories across the week on Autosport.com. Publishing this one a week late felt particularly lazy, especially given what had happened since.

I did not know that that statement had come earlier, so I have to cool down my cob web weaving a little bit.
Tough I am sure that these types of statements always have at least to meanings, and that Capito not only sends this message to the fans/audience, but also to other important parties.
Remember, one of Capitos best cards in the argument around the future of the WRC, was that he threatened to pull out/or rather that VW would probably pull out if they didn't get their way. By stating that VW is always in for the long run etc, it seems to me that he is sending a different message to a different audience "SmokeGate" or not.

[Mirek]

"SmokeGate" or not.

Little off topic... I know You haven't written that in serious manner but actually if there was even a looooot of smoke everything would be ok The diesel combustion runs either with a lot of smoke or with a lot of NOx. If I remember well there is no other way. VW problem is a lot of NOx because even SCR is not some wonder-cure to erase the NOx totally. If they run the engines with less NOX they would have more smoke (that is not really a big problem with DPF) but also higher fuel consumption which would probably cost them the title of the most fuel-efficient brand on the US market...

[macebig]

http://europe.autonews.com/article/2...top-priorities
People are calling Mueller to kill every VAG motorsport activity....

[Rally Power]

Let's just get some context. For what you're saying about Capito to apply - he would have needed to be aware of the dieselgate issue and also know that it was about to be revealed to the world.

Don't know if Capito's was already aware but top VW executives were. EPA friday's revelation turned clear why Dr. Piech slam the door in April and on monday's pc Winterkorn admitted VW during talks with EPA. For sure they haven't decide to allocate $7.2b* to potencial losses over the weekend! Probably Muller's nomination was also already decided and today's announced group governance reform too (actually this new structure, empowering the different group brands, can benefit motorsport involvement from each one of them).

From today's pc no cutting costs were mentioned, and it was a relief to see Muller confirmed as CEO (Diess has a heavy cost cutting reputation). My (wishful) bet is on VW staying in WRC, Porsche in WEC and the already expected Audi exit from WEC (keeping DTM and reinforcing FE support to ABT Team, instead of the rumored F1 joining up).

*it's more or less VW's 1/2 year profit, and just last August they've cashed out $3.9b from Suzuki's back share trade.

[Rally Power]

http://europe.autonews.com/article/2...top-priorities
People are calling Mueller to kill every VAG motorsport activity....

...no need to suffer over the news, mate. VW is heavily capitalized, the stock dispersion is limited and the Porsche/Piech families still have the group control.

[macebig]

Suffer?I hope they get the hell out of WRC and stick their arrogance up their candy asses...My only worry is that in 2017 we may only have 2 teams

[Mirek]

Suffer?I hope they get the hell out of WRC and stick their arrogance up their candy asses...My only worry is that in 2017 we may only have 2 teams

Brilliant idea...

[Rally Power]

For those of You with conspiratory tendencies(...)

How about this one: Is there any link between ICCT (the north american NGO that made the emissions tests on VW's cars) and Apple or Google?

[Lundefaret]

How about this one: Is there any link between ICCT (the north american NGO that made the emissions tests on VW's cars) and Apple or Google?

To answer that You must understand how business in the US works, and how connected the big companies are to the state, and vice versa.

Both Google and Apple (and a lot of other companies) have an open door towards the US intelligence community. And this also plays the other way around. Often the US intelligence community is helping large US companies in different situations.

The great Swedish inventor Håkan Lans (the man behind color graphics in computers, the air plane navigation system and other things), discovered this first hand when a US computer company breached one of his patents. Lans was contacted and threatened by representatives from the US intelligence community, and there was brake ins, bugging etc etc. Even the journalists that made the documentary about him experienced the same, including brake ins. This is not exclusive to the US of A, but there the connections are very tight.

What will happen in other countries now, that have a competing car industry, is that their leaders first will have confedential meetings with their industry leaders to see if they also cheat on emissions. If they do they will rattle a little with their swords, and then let it blow over. If the local car industry dont cheat, they will most probably "attack" VW, as long as VW dont have factories or large subcontractors in their country.

VW has already "lawyered up" with the same company that defended BP in the scandal in the Mexican Gulf, so they are expecting a storm of some proportions!

In the mean time Piech has "his" man Müller replacing Winterkorn in the CEO seat, and being the majority share holder, he can now buy up for incredible prices (VW real value is much higher than during this scandal), so he can gain even more control, both by bargain prices shares and having his person(s) leading VW.

Connections, they are everywhere, just follow the money