At the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona (Circuit de Catalunya) this past weekend, Audi Sport's press officer Andy Hagedus was seen in the F1 paddock. He was there officially "as a tourist". He did confirm however, that VAG is still interested in F1. Apparantely, he was seen talking with a Prost team manager. Not the best team, but F1 nonetheless.

I am watching the FIA World Rally - Swedish Rally as I type this and soooooo wishing Audi would return! :-)))))

 

Hmm. Prost is up for sale...

VAG denies it, but as www.formula1.com points out that pretty much clinches it, as it did at Le Mans.

Word is that VAG would race under the Lamborghini name. That seems dumb. I'd race under the Audi name (like at Le Mans) and call the engine a Lamborghini (as it probably would be anyway).

All these companies are getting back into racing, I think they'll soon realize that being the first in is good, as a little dough will get you some wins and good press. But being one of 6 in means you have to spend a lot more to win less often. I give the companies 3 years before they start dropping back out.<ul><li><a href="http://www.formula1.com">http://www.formula1.com</a</li></ul>

 

If you look at the F1 grid. We have Mercedes(DaimlerChrysler), BMW,
Jaguar(Ford), Honda, Ferrari, Renault will be back with Benetton & Toyota soon.
So the only global auto manufacturer missing is VAG. And with a F1 race back in the US this year, VW can't afford not to be involved. But looks like VAG is a bit slow, all good teams have already been snatched up. What's left Prost, Arrows, Minardi?

 

I think they would be far behind for a while, and would really have to commit for at least 5 years.

That is why I hinted at World Rally. World Rally is hugely popular globally. It unfortunately is unnoticed in North America. I think VAG missed the boat here too. This year they launched a full schedule Seat program. I think they should have left Seat in the production car classes and gone with the Audi brand for World Rally modifieds. This series is even more influential on consumers than the highly successful touring car series found in Europe. I am being self serving here though. I am a total rally head. I cant get enough of this form of racing. I have more respect for World Rally drivers than I do F1 drivers.

VAG could get much more marketing "bang for the buck" with World Rally than they ever could in F1. However, I love F1 and would enjoy Audi participation (much more than Lamborghini).

Thanks for the F1 URL, it is one I have not seen yet. When I get home I'll post another one I visit frequently for you.

 

<ul><li><a href="http://www.f1today.com/">http://www.f1today.com/</a</li></ul>

 

If you really want fast F1 news, check out atlasf1.com. They're by far the best F1 source.
f1-live.com is also very good. They have live f1 commentry for free practice sessions and qualifying.<ul><li><a href="http://www.atlasf1.com">http://www.atlasf1.com</a</li></ul>

 

Hi,

I am not sure where you got your data. But over here in Asia, World Rally is not carried on the Networks(TV). Yet every Qualifying session and Race of F1 is carried.

Also it is very clear that F1 generates a lot more interest and publicity for the companies involved.

However, I do understand that F1 is not very popular in the US. But elsewhere in the world it is seen as an exhibition of the strength and capability of a manufacturer. You will notice that generally manufacturers who are involved in F1 are generally regarded higher.

EG.

In the recent Reader Digest Brand Conscious Survey, BMW topped 4-5 countries(In Asia) and Honda topped the 3(In Asia). Between these two brands they swept up all the top spots(1st and 2nd placing) in the whole survey.


Also, about the point on World rally drivers. I think the 2 sets of drivers are equipped with different skills. I can't comment much on World rally cars but I shall attempt to make a comparison.

F1 racing is much more demanding than World
Rallying cos

1) F1 cars have literally no suspension every bump is felt by the drivers. World Rally Cars have suspensions but the bumps are bigger
So even on this point.

2) F1 cars have no driver aids. (ABS,traction control)
World rally cars??? (I have no idea)

3) F1 cars use carbon industries carbon fibre disk braking. These disks operate at up to 2700 degees CELSIUS(not Farenheit). They generate such a great braking force that is medically proven that the driver's eyeballs actually elongate due the extreme G's involved anf the driver suffer from tunnel vision. Therefore, very difficult on the eyes as well as judging distances.
World Rally cars brake on loose ground. How much grip can they possibly have?

4) F1 cars are very unforgiving one mistake and you are out.
World Rally cars are much more forgiving than F1 cars. There is more room for mistakes.

5) F1 is run in a lab environment as compared to World Rally cars. I guess here the World rally cars are more adaptable. But how do you compare cars objectively when conditions change so much?


Thanks

Ivan

 

Thanks for the URL RSC.

 

This is a friendly response, no hostility intended :-)

I never said that World Rally was more popular than F1. I said that is was "hugely popular". It is the FIA's second most popular series and is an enormous revenue earner for them. It enjoys the second highest global viewership of all motorsports, coming in behind F1 of course.

Both World Rally and F1 have cycled through "premium" and "not so premium" participants. At present, F1 has Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar (Ford) etc.. It was not that long ago that Renault and Honda dominated F1. I was not aware that these two "are generally regarded as higher" than Ford, Subaru, Mistubishi and Peugot. Remember when Lancia and BMW and Porsche rallied? In F1 Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar have nothing to do with the car, they are just engine suppliers. In fact Mercedes, essentially is paying Ilmore for the right to paste the tristar on its engine cover.

As for your comments on brand recognition, I'm sure where you were going with that. I simply stated that VAG could use the World Rally series to successfully market the Audi nameplate for less money than entering F1, and therby potentially get a better return on its investment. A lot, if not all of Audi's present high performance image came from rallying the Ur-Quattro after all.

Now I will respond to your 5 driver points:

1) The point is not even. Rally drivers are subjected to BIG bumps at speeds in excess of 100 MPH. They are subjected to these bumps all day long. Rallies consist of continuos stages that last all day, for four days staight. The suspension on a rally car is less forgiving than you think. These cars still have to corner flat at 100 MPH, while dealing with bottoming out dozens of times a mile.

2) World Rally drivers have no aids other than the obvious all wheel drive, which Audi introduced to the sport. Which revolutionized it for the better in my opinion. World Rally drivers also do not get to practice or pre-run any stages. All they have is the navigator and the rally computer to tell them what the turn looks like ahead of them. No turn is ever alike in rally.

3) Braking in a World Rally car of course does not generate as much g-force. But again I reiterate that a rally driver uses his brakes far more often for each mile completed than a driver on a track does. And they do it all day long for 4 days.

4) Thats just it, "one mistake and your out" makes for an even shorter race, and lets face it, F1 races are not that long any more. (That was tongue-in-cheek :-) ) Actually, one mistake at 110 MPH with dense trees 15 feet on either side or a cliff 10 feet away is "one mistake" that will end a racing day just as fast.

5) As far as lab conditions go, I guess you have not seen the race shops of the World Rally teams or their transporters either. The amount of "lab" is stunning, even if it is not as precise as F1. They do not plug a computer into the car in between stages though. It is a different median they are racing in. The car has to last all day, not just for a qualifying session or 1 1/2 hour race. Rally teams are only allowed 10 minutes between stages to actually work on the cars.

I see the rally driver driving at the limit just as an F1 driver does, but doing it on a frayed edge for much longer durations. On a race track, you see the same surface and corners time and time again. On a rally stage, the only information a rally driver has about the next bend is what his navigator tells him. He then proceeds into the bend with a car that is barely touching the ground. It is this unknown and total uncertainty that makes me respect the rally driver more than the sanitary F1 driver.

But I still love F1 anyways :-)

Thanks for your responses, this kind of banter is fun for me!