Formula 1 is facing a fundamental realignment.
If the daughter of the US media giant Liberty Media does it cleverly, Volkswagen could bring new splendor to the racing series.
Wolfsburg - The Volkswagen Group openly flirts with entry into Formula 1 *.
The decision to participate in the racing series depends on the realignment of the Formula 1 regulations planned for 2025, said Volkswagen Motorsport boss Fritz Enzinger in an interview with the BBC.
Should “aspects of sustainability such as synthetic fuels” be taken into account in the planned revision of the rules, “we will evaluate them in detail in the VW * Group and discuss further steps,” Enzinger told BBC Sport.
Enzinger is a strong proponent of Formula 1 involvement.
Before moving to the top of the Group's own motorsport department, the Austrian was the logistics manager of the BMW Formula 1 team * for many years.
In mid-2009, after ten years in Formula 1, the Bavarian car manufacturer surprisingly announced its withdrawal from the premier class of automotive racing.
Two years later, Enzinger moved to Volkswagen.
In addition to overseeing all of the Group's motorsport activities, the Austrian also heads Porsche's motorsport department.
Under his aegis, the Swabians won three overall wins at the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race and eight world championship titles on the endurance circuit.
VW: Two brands would have the best chance of making the leap into the premier class
However, it is completely open under which brand the Wolfsburg-based company could enter a possible title race in Formula 1.
Should the supervisory board give the green light for the premier class, Porsche * and Audi * would probably have the best cards.
The legendary aura speaks for Porsche.
Audi could enter the race with the volume advantage and give its recently badly worn nimbus (“Vorsprung durch Technik”) a new shine.
VW: CEO Herbert Diess inspires speculation about Formula 1 entry
In the past, there had been several speculations about a possible Formula 1 entry for the Wolfsburg-based company.
It was only in the summer that CEO Herbert Diess * fueled the rumors himself.
A "CO2-neutral Formula 1" that relies on synthetic fuels is "significantly more exciting, technically more demanding" and delivers more racing thrills than Formula E, in which the drivers "drive a few laps in city centers in gaming mode" , Diess commented on LinkedIn last summer.
In addition, last September the announcement of Stefano Domenicali's imminent move to the top of the Formula 1 holding company caused a sensation in the industry.
Until the middle of last year, the Italian led the Italian luxury sports car maker Lamborghini * - and it belongs to VW.
* Merkur.de and tz.de are part of IPPEN.MEDIA.