VW motosport chief says F1 too messed up to invest in

The VW motorsport chief Wolfgang Dürheimer says his company will not enter Formula 1 the sport is in a volatile state and lacking direction.

Dürheimer told Autocar, "Formula 1 is not on our agenda right now. The situation is not predictable enough to make the kind of investment required."

"On the regulations front, there are a lot of rumours around the engine side and the supporting technology side. Before you commit the kind of money needed you must see five years of rules stability."

"There can't be the possibility of rules changes, of more or less engine cylinders coming in, or the hybrid system changing away from technology you are developing on road cars.

"On the ownership side, there are also big questions the sport must answer. If you are a big business making a big investment you expect to have some influence on the set-up, with an assurance the present ownership will last. In F1, it seems the owners will not be there forever and that creates some instability," reasoned Dürheimer.

Last year, Audi was strongly courted by Red Bull to enter F1, but the emissions scandal put things on the back-burner.