It's Official - VW quits World Rally Championship at the end of the season

It was confirmed on Wednesday (2/11/16), that Volkswagen will pull out of the World Rally Championship at the end of the season to end its four year involvement in the series.



The decision was taken at a board meeting in Wolfsburg on Tuesday morning. The German manufacturer will focus on its efforts on customer-based competition, with its Golf TCR and Beetle GRC rallycross car.

However, they will return to rallying following the development of an R5-specification Polo in 2018. But, the all-new Polo R WRC built for next season new WRC rules will not be used.



Volkswagen won forty-two of the fifty-one WRC rounds since they have return with the Polo in 2013, with Sebastien Ogier taking four drivers' titles and VW taking four manufacturers' titles.



My opinion I think it's a sad decision from Volkswagen that they are leaving the WRC at the end of the season. I do believe that Volkswagen reason is (they properly won't say) the backlash from the Volkswagen emissions scandal from last year rather than what VW have achieved within the last four years.

Sad we won't see the all-new Polo R WRC next season with all-new WRC rules introduce. I would like to see the Polo R WRC next season with a team that can developed it such as Prodrive. They have develop a VW Golf for the Chinese Rally Championship which they are won the championship in 2015.



I do hope that VW does return to the WRC one day, I believe VW is a great brand for the WRC. At least Citroen, Toyota, M-Sport (Ford) and Hyundai are going no where from the WRC at least for a year.