Car manufacturers go cold on new F1 involvement

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Ever since Liberty Media Group completed its take over of Formula One, rumours have been flying that their new business-friendly approach to the sport might entice some big-name car manufacturers back into the sport.

Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota and BMW have all been linked with potential returns to the championship in recent weeks.

However the latest reports coming out of German media sources have poured cold water on those suggestions, and it seems that there is a lack of manufacturers currently planning any new significant role in Formula One in the foreseeable future.

Formula 1 costs a huge deterrent for Ford

Auto Bild correspondent Michael Zeitler reports that a move into F1 for the German giant Volkswagen is now considered unlikely with the company still embroiled in the diesel emissions scandal.

The sport's locked-in turbo V6 engine specifications is also a put-off for the car maker, according to Zeitler: "A foray for Volkswagen only makes sense from 2021."

The report added that neither Toyota and BMW are reconsidering their decision to pull out of the sport in 2009.

There had been hopes that new US ownership for Formula One might tempt American motor giant Ford into the fray, but Cologne newspaper Express said that any such chances were now effectively over.

"'No' is the answer from Detroit," insisted correspondent Oliver Reuter this week.

Ford Performance director Dave Pericak told reporters last week that Formula One was still simply too expensive, adding: "I don't see us getting into that any time soon."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.