Volkswagen ends its program

The Volkswagen group is therefore continuing, against the backdrop of Dieselgate, to reduce its commitments in the premier categories of motorsport. After the announced end of Audi Sport's LM P1 program at the end of the 2016 season, it is now Volkswagen Motorsport's turn to cease its involvement in WRC, at the end of the Rally from Australia.

Rumors of a withdrawal of the flagship brand from Wolfsburg had been circulating for several days, even if Sven Smeets, new director of the Motorsport division, did not want to comment on these rumors on the sidelines of Wales Rally GB.

Information of a meeting held yesterday at the group's headquarters, and of a decision almost approved, had leaked in the columns of our colleaguesCoach at the start of the week, before VW does not officially confirm its withdrawal this Wednesday.

“The Volkswagen brand is facing enormous challenges, said Frank Welsch, member of the Board of Directors and responsible for technical development, to his employees in Hannover. With the upcoming expansion of electrification of our vehicle range, we must focus all our efforts on future technologies.

We have largely exceeded our sporting objectives in the WRC. From now on, we are realigning Volkswagen Motorsport's strategy and putting future-oriented technology at the center of our attention.

Volkswagen will focus more on customer competition. In addition to the Golf GTI TCR on the circuit and the Beetle GRC in rallycross, we want to offer our customers top-notch products and we will develop a new Polo that meets the R5 regulations. » The latter should be made available for 2018.

The German brand will therefore leave a discipline in which it arrived in 2013 by entering the Polo R WRC, notably entrusted to its rookie Sébastien Ogier. Since then, VW has crushed the WRC, accumulating 43 victories, four Drivers' world titles and four Manufacturers' crowns, the last of which was acquired at Wales Rally GB last Sunday.

Volkswagen is thus clipping the wings of the new Polo R, developed for several months in order to meet the 2017 WRC regulations. The question now arises about the future of the three drivers under contract Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen. M-Sport et Toyota n’ont pas encore confirmé tous leurs équipages pour 2017, laissant ainsi des portes ouvertes à des recrutements dans les prochaines semaines.

The reigning four-time world champion reacted on his Twitter account following the announcement. “I feel so sorry for my fantastic team. We've had four incredible years. Thank you for their passion and support. Don't worry about me, we'll see each other again. »

I feel so sorry for my fantastic team-We had 4 outstanding years!
Thanks for their passion&support!
Don't worry about me, we'll see us again

- Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) November 2, 2016

Find all the information on Volkswagen's departure from the WRC, in AUTO issue 2088hebdo, available from Monday November 7 in digital version, and from Wednesday November 9 on newsstands.