[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[WUff1]

VW May pull out of WRC...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...-wrc-programme

VW is dismissing 10.000 employees, so pulling out of WRC would unfortunately be no big surprise ...

[Francis44]

I dont believe they would pull the plug so abruptly, perhaps running normally next year and abandon then, so many would be without a job with no heads up at all.

[rallyfiend]

I dont believe they would pull the plug so abruptly, perhaps running normally next year and abandon then, so many would be without a job with no heads up at all.

They just did it with Audi last week, so why not?

[Franky]

They just did it with Audi last week, so why not?

Moving from one championship to another isn't exactly "finito" compared to just pulling the plug and doing nothing.

[dimviii]

Autocar understands a withdrawal from the WRC tops a list of topics to be tabled at a Volkswagen board meeting being held at the company’s Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany on Tuesday 1 November.

A high-ranking Volkswagen official contacted by Autocar suggests chairman, Matthias Mueller, will announce an end to the company’s highly successful WRC programme as a direct result of the financial burden placed on Volkswagen in the wake of the Dieselgate emission manipulation scandal. It is expected the announcement will be made prior to the final round of the 2016 championship in Coffs Harbour, Australia on 17 November.

Suggestions that Mueller could grant Volkswagen Motorsport a year’s grace before a definitive end to the WRC programme are rebuffed by Autocar’s sources, who say the decision to end an association with the WRC is likely to be taken similar to that undertaken by Audi, and would be effective at the end of 2016, not 2017.

“It is disappointing. The guys at Volkswagen have done a great job,” a separate source involved in Volkswagen Group Motorsport operations told Autocar.

Since rejoining the WRC as a fully fledged manufacturer team from the beginning of the 2013 championship, Volkswagen has notched up 41 victories, including four manufacturer and four driver’s championships.

Volkswagen's sister company Audi axed its WEC programme last week after 18 years; officials confirmed it plans to switch its focus to Formula E.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/mo...y-championship

[EightGear]

That doesn't look good...

Would be very intersting to see where their drivers would end up now that pretty much every team is already full.

[dodge33cymru]

Doesn't look good at all - would be a real shame for them to disappear just when there is the prospect of real competition showing up too. All the folks from Audi stayed on at the company with no redundancies; it's hard to see the same situation being possible here.

[Rally Power]

There may be a difference between Audi and VW cases. Can’t remember any Audi previous declaration of their LeMans engagement under the future 2018/21 regs, while VW confirmed a long time ago their 2017/19 WRC commitment. Hopefully, this is just an anticipation of Audi’s decision to choose FE instead of LM/WEC.

[macebig]

Did Makinen and Wilson knew something other people didn't?(in regards to the driver's market and VW).Because if the rumors are true,suddenly a very nice bunch of drivers(Ogier,Latvala,Mikkelsen+Lappi,Tidemand and Suninen) become available and possibly at a bargain price...

[er88]

Ford coming back would allow Msport to keep a hold of Tanak first and foremost. Like Neuville a few years back, if Tanak continues his progress he'd be away in 2018 to Toyota or maybe Citroen/ Hyundai. Ford already provide support to Msport and have always kept a possible return to the WRC alive, so if they know the 2017 car is going to be more than decent I wouldn't be surprised to see them return earlier than expected. I'd heard rumours 2018 was more likely but hope it's next year, and if the VW drivers are available Ford could have just stumbled across a goldmine so to speak...

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk