Volkswagen Killing Its WRC Motorsport Program
After Audi confirmed it is bowing out of Le Mans, Volkswagen will reportedly pull out of the World Rally Championship (WRC).
The German automaker is continuing to cut costs following its massive dieselgate scandal and Volkswagen’s WRC campaign is the latest victim. Autocar reports that a meeting has been held in Wolfsburg, Germany, where the automaker vowed to retain the 200 employees at its Volkswagen Motorsport division, but it won’t be to develop race cars for WRC. Instead, Volkswagen plans to focus on the VW Golf TCR customer car and other motorsport programs within the Volkswagen Group.
Although nothing has been confirmed, one source says the news will come after the affected staff have been notified of the decision.
SEE ALSO: Audi Confirms It’s Ditching Le Mans for Formula E
Earlier this year, Volkswagen announced its development on an all-new Polo WRC to meet 2017 WRC regulations, and it appears the automaker has no intentions to provide it to customer teams.
Volkswagen has had a successful run in WRC, garnering four manufacturer and driver championships throughout the 2013-2016 seasons. It currently has earned 41 victories and it has a chance to get one more with the Australian round of the 2016 championship.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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