Volkswagen Group

[RTSolvalou]

Finally they admit that they are planning on joining Formula 1:
http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=396366&FS=F1

It will be an interesting year 2013, And another manufacturer on the grid is always good, with Porsche (and Bugatti imo) being the most likely VG owned names to hit the grid.

I'm thinking mostly about how they would aim to acquire at least one german driver for their team;
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Rosberg
Sebastian Vettel

I am aware of the other german drivers, but I think they would focus on acquiring at least one of these three, pending what happens between now and then.
I'd like to see Hulkenberg or Rosberg take the wheel there.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I don't think they'd join as a team, but rather as an engine supplier. If they joined as a team, they'd probably look to buy into one like BMW did with Sauber. Maybe Williams, since Sir Frank won't be around forever.

 

[grbmrdj]

I don't think they'd join as a team, but rather as an engine supplier. If they joined as a team, they'd probably look to buy into one like BMW did with Sauber. Maybe Williams, since Sir Frank won't be around forever.

I hope not, seeing as they only managed to get about 1200 bhp out of 8 litres and 4 turbochargers. I admit I'd like to see them as their own team, but realistically they're probably just giving money to someone to do it for them.

 

[Ardius]

It was better when manufacturers simply supplied rather than owned teams. So I don't really care if VAG enter a team or not (or buy one out). It would be great to see some more engine suppliers, particularly as this breeds engine competition.
Why do people keep bringing up a buyout of Williams being impossible? Frank isn't a fool, he will gladly secure the future of his team if it was handed to him. The problem is, manufacturers are not a secure future, as Peter Sauber has found out. If VAG convinced Frank they would do a good job of keeping the team going, even when they left, they would be able to buy the team. Frank's only going to sell to someone he trusts to run it as a racing team and not as a marketing tool.

I don't see VAG (or any other manufacturers) really getting an eye for buying/owning teams, I think most of them would prefer to simply produce and sell engines with the attached marketing benefits. Its simply far easier and painless for them, as hopefully they've noticed that its not easy to produce a winning team in the short term like they always think. Or at least I hope they don't, its rather tiresome seeing them coming and going like the wind.
I wouldn't be surprised to see VAG supplying Toro Rosso for 1 season before supplying Red Bull. There are already partnerships with the two in other categories. But it really is up in the air who will get whose engines. Honda could come back and sell to Red Bull. We could get a large number of manufacturers producing engines and have 12 different engines (unlikely, but possible).

I also don't think VAG will be too fussed about having a German driver using their engines, at least not initially if it means a supply deal to a top team. At the end of the day, results speak better about a brand than simply a familiar face, though the threshold is quicker to the latter than the former (i.e. when results fail, a familiar face is quickly a better tool). Renault and Honda were pretty happy with non-French/Japanese drivers for ages in the 90s due to the huge success.