Skip to main content

VW Pulls out of Formula 3, Focusing on Production-Based Race Cars

Volkswagen Motorsports will end its involvement in popular feeder series Formula 3 in 2018 to focus instead on rallying and touring car racing.

The announcement marks the end of an era in which numerous German drivers rose to the highest ranks of motorsport via VW. Between 1982 and 1991, all but two German Formula 3 champions earned their titles driving VW-powered Formula 3 cars.

Drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Le Mans-winner Tom Kristensen, F1 drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr, and Brenden Hartley are all among the drivers who have gone on to great success following their stint behind the wheel VW-powered cars.

Volkswagen Motorsport will now focus more fiercely on its production-based race cars, like the Golf GTI TCR, which races in Touring Car series around the world, and the Polo GTI R5, which races in the World Rally Championship’s second-tier series, WRC2.

“The Golf GTI TCR is already an important ambassador for the brand in many racing series around the world, and we are pursuing the same goal with the new Polo GTI R5,” said Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director, in a statement. “Both cars are not only attractive propositions for professional customer teams but also represent top-class cars for talented youngsters. This way, we are also able to continue our long-term philosophy of offering youth opportunities.”

Since VW’s dieselgate scandal, its racing endeavors have been slowed. The team pulled out of the WRC’s top series suddenly after winning four straight championships in an effort to save money. The team continues to race in TCR, WRC2, and two major rallycross championships, though. 

Moreover, it has announced that it will also race an electric car to the top of Pikes Peak this summer in an attempt to set a record and set the tone for its coming range of electric vehicles. This, though, won’t be production-based, according to a VW spokesperson.

The post VW Pulls out of Formula 3, Focusing on Production-Based Race Cars appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2paNL7o
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Mitsubishi , Fuel Efficiency , Japan Mitsubishi says its shady fuel-economy test practices may have been used on all vehicles it sells and has sold in Japan. Continue reading Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2016 12:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/21X3bHv
Post a Comment
Read more

More 3.0-Liter TDI Settlement Details Expected by January 31

Volkswagen and the TDI Plaintiff’s Steering Committee were in court today for another status conference following the agreement in principal reached earlier this week. Little new information was given at the conference held before Judge Charles Breyer today, but the court ordered the parties to develop a formal settlement agreement, class action notices, and a class notice plan by January 31, 2017. For now, though, owners still don’t know how much to expect in compensation. Elizabeth Cabraser, lead Counsel for the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee reaffirmed in a statement today that the compensation would be “substantial.” The potential cost to Volkswagen is widely reported to exceed $1 billion, though, with an additional $225 million going into an environmental trust to help offset excess emissions. Buy back offers are still only expected for the oldest 20,000 of the roughly 80,000 VW Group vehicles sold in America with the 3.0-liter TDI engine. Those vehicles are mostly SUVs, like ...
Post a Comment
Read more