[mlange]

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/03/22/a ... -up-to-f1/


Audi’s staggering domination of international sports car racing continued this weekend as its new R15 won its first race in the Sebring 12 Hours.

Audi has systematically crushed its sports car rivals around the world this decade. The Sebring event has fallen to Audi nine times in the last ten years. They’ve won prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours eight times in the last nine years - and the 2003 race was won by the Audi R8C-based Bentley Speed 8.

It’s won the American Le Mans Series every year since 2000 and won its European equivalent last year as well, inflicting another bruising defeat on Peugeot.

The formidable Audi outfit clearly has little left to prove in the world of endurance racing. With the costs of entering F1 projected to fall in the near future, will it soon take up the challenge of squaring up against its domestic rivals Mercedes and BMW in F1 soon? I hope so…

[Mikko Nassi]

They've seemed content with what their sportscar efforts bring them in terms of marketing, and at least in the past they haven't seen the need to get into F1.

Maybe with less money required they might enter, however if the regulations are too restrictive Audi might not be interested.

[mlange]

F1 nowadays is in a state of constant flux.

Its situation is a conundrum; how do you limit spending in order to keep the sport competitive for the smaller teams and value add for participating countries and team sponsors whilst keep the manufacturers interested in using F1 as a showcase for their technology, which in turn is being limited by spending caps and restrictive technical parameters.

[RocK]

If you own Porsche and VW group of companies which also owns Audi, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini.
Which brand will you choose to enter F1 first?

I dont think it will be Audi.

My 1st pick will be Lambo, 2nd will be Bugatti & 3rd is Porsche..

[hanifcd]

Would be interesting to see other car manufacturers to enter F1 but I don't think Audi would make an appearance neither does Lambo since the late Ferrucio himself set a rule not to involve into motorsports. But its interesting to see Lambo in F1 so we can have yellow colored cars on the grid