WOLFSBURG: As Volkswagen shifts towards an era of electrified mobility, the German carmaker has decided to disband its Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH workforce.
Rather than to let its talents go, the company will be integrating them back into Volkswagen AG.
“The Volkswagen brand is on the way to becoming the leading provider for sustainable e-mobility. To this end, we are pooling our strengths and have decided to terminate the Volkswagen brand’s own motorsport activities," said VW management board member (Development Division) Dr Frank Welsch.
"The motorsport workforce will be integrated into Volkswagen AG. The deep technical expertise of the motorsport employees and the know-how gained from the ID.R project will remain with the company and will help us put further efficient models from the ID. family on the road”, he added.
Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH is based in Hanover and employs 169 people who will be integrated in Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg over the coming months.
“For decades, the Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH team brought the brand a string of major sporting successes. My warmest thanks go to all employees for so many victories, titles and records throughout the world and for their personal dedication and commitment.
"We are delighted that we are able to preserve jobs, especially in these challenging times, and will be offering all employees a transfer contract,” said VW management board member (human resources) Wilfried von Rath.
The long-term supply of spare parts for the Polo GTI R5 and Golf GTI TCR for the racing circuit is secure.
Production of the customer sport Polo GTI R5 for rallying expires at the end of 2020.
Volkswagen Motorsport has over five decades of motorsport history - starting with the heydays of Formula V in the 1960s and 70s and the successes in Formula 3.
Its production-ready vehicles such as the Volkswagen Polo, Golf and Scirocco lined up on the grid at racing circuits, rallycross and rally sport.
The brand’s greatest achievements include three Dakar Rally wins with the Race Touareg (2009-2011), four Rally World Championship titles with the Polo R WRC (2013-2016), two TCR International titles with the Golf GTI (2016, 2017), and three Rallycross World Championship titles with the Polo (2017, 2018,2020).
Volkswagen Motorsport successfully made the transition to e-mobility from 2018 with the fully-electric ID.R.
Volkswagen holds five international records with the ID.R racing car, including the overall record for Pikes Peak (USA), the electric record for the Nürburgring North Loop (D) and the Tianmen Mountain in China.
