Volkswagen stops motorsport!

Volkswagen's Motorsport division has lived. The German giant will stop its sports programs and VW Motorsport employees will be integrated into Volkswagen AG, the parent company.

“The Volkswagen brand is poised to become the leading provider of sustainable electric mobility, welcomes Dr. Frank Welsch, member of the board of directors responsible for the Development Division for VW. We are joining forces and have decided to end the motorsport activities of the Volkswagen brand. The motorsport personnel will be integrated into Volkswagen AG.

The deep technical expertise of motorsport employees and the know-how acquired in the ID.R project will remain with the company and help us produce further successful models from the ID. the family of electric cars on the road.

“For decades, the team at Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH has brought the brand a series of major sporting successes. My warmest thanks to all employees for so many victories, titles and records around the world and for their personal dedication and commitment, commented Wilfried von Rath, member of the management committee in charge of human resources. We are delighted to be able to preserve jobs, especially during these difficult times, and will offer all employees a transfer contract. »

Volkswagen Motorsport's 169 employees will continue to produce the Polo GTI R5 until the end of 2020 and will continue to provide spare parts and after-sales service for the R5 and Golf GTI TCR.

This decision puts an end to more than half a century of VW's presence in motor racing. First in single-seaters, with Formula V in the 1960s then the Formula 3 until the mid-2010s, VW programs also eyed the rally with the Golf GTI from Group A, then the dominant Polo R WRC de Sébastien Ogier (four coronations) between 2013 and 2016.

The desert allowed Volkswagen to score several victories at the Paris Dakar, in 1980 with the 4×4 Iltis, then in South America with the Touareg and its diesel engine (2009 to 2011). Let's also not forget the control of Johan Kristoffersson and Petter Solberg in the World Championship of rallycross (World RX) in 2017, 2018 and 2020!

Since 2018, Volkswagen Motorsport has been primarily interested in electric challenges, with the ID.R prototype. piloted by Romain Dumas, and author of resounding records at Pikes Peak, Goodwood, Mount Tianmen or on the Nordschleife (in his category).