The news we've all been waiting to hear!!!

[kfzmeister]

Booyah!
VW to join F1 in 2015 with Sauber...

[wiredvw]

Booyah!
VW to join F1 in 2015 with Sauber...

This would be awesome, but I'll only believe it when I see it!

[kfzmeister]

Here's more:

http://www.f1reports.com/f1/article/...medium=twitter

[24vEngineer]

Cool! But they are really going to have to work on the understeer problem!

• 

[The Red Baron]

hope they have room on those fancy steering wheels for a CEL

[darren p.]

I'm pretty shocked to see that they are planning on not only being an engine supplier but have a full on team as well. Its pretty incredible to think that all of these teams/companies are getting behind the idea of 2 US Grands Prix...although I still don't think it will ever be popular here they way its currently presented on the Speed Channel.

[kfzmeister]

I'm pretty shocked to see that they are planning on not only being an engine supplier but have a full on team as well. Its pretty incredible to think that all of these teams/companies are getting behind the idea of 2 US Grands Prix...although I still don't think it will ever be popular here they way its currently presented on the Speed Channel.

Let's see. V6 turbo. US car market (already VW plant in Tennessee). Austin logistics (North and South American markets). Chinese GP (everybody wants to be in Chinese car market).
Seems like a fit to me. I think the SPEED coverage is just fine. I don't have a problem with Matchett, Hobbs or Varsha. They've been at it for many years....

[24vEngineer]

I think the SPEED coverage is just fine. I don't have a problem with Matchett, Hobbs or Varsha. They've been at it for many years....

C'mon Varsha? Really? Matchet and Hobbs do ok, but Varsha is way out in left field. Lee diffey or Peter Windsor would be a better lead man.

[The Red Baron]

I just can't stand that they fully cut to commercials...at least got to a split screen like TSN does in Canada.

The only race this year I had to watch of Speed or Fox I felt like they specifically cut to commercials during pit stops, which really pissed me off.

[kfzmeister]

C'mon Varsha? Really? Matchet and Hobbs do ok, but Varsha is way out in left field. Lee diffey or Peter Windsor would be a better lead man.

Yeah, Varsha's alright (I do think that everybody on the planet knows that F1 engines rev to 18,000 rpms by now, though! ).
Don't get me wrong, there's surely better coverage (I've watched a lot of BBC the last few years with David, Jordan and that other guy). Even Sky's not so bad, although i'm trying to get used to Herbert.
Maybe i'm just easy to please.

[8v_gti777]

I think the SPEED coverage is just fine. I don't have a problem with Matchett, Hobbs or Varsha. They've been at it for many years....

Agreed, I think they do a great job.

[wiredvw]

Agreed, I think they do a great job.

I think the SPEED coverage is pretty good given what they have to work with. It's tough to compare to the BBC as they have a massive buildup and incredible access to the the pits at every race with all the guys attending each race.

Now that I've thought about it a bit more, it makes total sense for VW to make an effort at F1. They have ambitions to be the largest car maker in the world and to increase their exposure they need to do more than they are doing right now. F1 is a great avenue for that exposure. I will say that now having two US races is huge as well as more races in the far east. I will agree with Bernie that Europe will steadily lose races at the expense of the Americas and the far east. It also seems to include Russia these days depending on what reports you wish to believe.

[R8TD///M]

1.8t?

[gizmopop]

I just can't stand that they fully cut to commercials...at least got to a split screen like TSN does in Canada.

The only race this year I had to watch of Speed or Fox I felt like they specifically cut to commercials during pit stops, which really pissed me off.

Why don't they go split screen like the Indy races do?

[tbvvw]

I think the SPEED coverage is pretty good given what they have to work with. It's tough to compare to the BBC as they have a massive buildup and incredible access to the the pits at every race with all the guys attending each race.

Agreed. People need to remember that Varsha (who's been doing this now for 25 yrs) and team show up in Charlotte on Thursday afternoon and sit in a studio Fri/Sat and Sun with nothing more than team/race notes from the 4th guy at the track and 3 large monitors watching the exact same feed we do on TV. They do a very good job with what they have.

BTW...anyone else think that 34 days between Hungary and Spa are waaaayyyyyy too much!!

[8v_gti777]

Hopefully with the new engine formula, there will be a real technical competition. This engine freeze has become mighty boring.

[darren p.]

They do a very good job with what they have.

I'll give you that, but thats kind of my point. Speed spends NOTHING on the production, they have 1 guy at the race and 3 guys sitting in a studio in NC. The BBC used to do the same thing but Murray Walker was a legend at calling races and he had James Hunt as a co-commentator yet they still pulled it off way better than what Speed is doing now. Speed needs to get rid of Varsha, straight up...the guy is a total bore. Hobbs sounds drunk half the time and is just irrelevant. Matchett is the best of the 4, that guy at the races seems okay. The real thing that needs to change though is Speed needs to spend money on their production and make it interesting to the viewers. If they can't get F1 fans excited, how the hell are they going to draw in new viewers? I'm going way off topic, I know but with all this talk about F1 gaining steam in the US, I just don't see it happening, we all know where Speed spends the money. Even the BBC's production gas gone downhill since last year, its clear their budget is nowhere near where it was the previous 2 seasons. Sky Sports does a great job and I will be watching F1 on Sky for the forseeable future, don't care if I can't watch it live. :End Rant:

[tbvvw]

Speed spends NOTHING on the production, they have 1 guy at the race and 3 guys sitting in a studio in NC.

SPEED spends based on what the show returns in ratings. Let's be honest here...F1 tv ratings in the US suck, regardless of who the announcers are. I've been watching for over 20 years and if they replaced F1 w/ 4 NASCAR drivers playing Texas holdem...that would get 5x the ratings.
I don't like it but it's fact that any entertainment company will only back something marketable...and depsite all of our love of F1, it's not an attractive sell in the US.

[kfzmeister]

They have ambitions to be the largest car maker in the world and to increase their exposure they need to do more than they are doing right now.

Where have you been?
http://www.economist.com/node/21558269

[wiredvw]

Where have you been?
http://www.economist.com/node/21558269

Well then, they better start acting the #1 and spend accordingly on F1.

[Mk1Racer]

BTW...anyone else think that 34 days between Hungary and Spa are waaaayyyyyy too much!!

Yep, it's like 2 separate seasons!

[10Ten]

C'mon Varsha? Really? Matchet and Hobbs do ok, but Varsha is way out in left field. Lee diffey or Peter Windsor would be a better lead man.

gawd i couldn't agree more. Varsha isn't even into F1 and it shows. that guy just needs to stick with Barret Jackson auctions. Leigh Diffey does infinitely better... more on-point, more F1 experience, and pertinent commentary, very much unlike Varsha.

but i am looking forward to VW in 2015 (if). actually, i'm looking forward to every F1 race, including the next one in a week at Spa!!!

[nickthaskater]

Varsha isn't into F1? Talk about ignorance. Varsha's been following the F1 circus for over 2-decades (started F1 coverage for ESPN in '86). I'm pretty sure that if he wasn't into F1 he'd find something else to do, given he has a law degree from a pretty solid university.

[10Ten]

Varsha isn't into F1? Talk about ignorance. Varsha's been following the F1 circus for over 2-decades (started F1 coverage for ESPN in '86). I'm pretty sure that if he wasn't into F1 he'd find something else to do, given he has a law degree from a pretty solid university.

duh... i'm not talking about his history, i'm talking about his utter lack of passion and apparent interest. i couldn't care less who the guy is... his commentary is empty and disengaged. if you can't see this (and i know you can since you've seen some Euro commentators no doubt), then you can just stick with Varsha and enjoy it. i'd prefer Diffey, or any number of other hosts. Varsha's about to fall asleep old-man style, and half the time he's obviously not even really paying attention. have you compared his commentary to Diffey's? or are you just not into commentary on Speed. Hobbs & Matchett are ok, but Speed TV keeps making them talk cars 101, which can be pretty annoying every week for an enthusiast who follows every bit. i wish we had an alternative to Speed's dumbed-down american approach.

[24vEngineer]

['dubber]

It's a shame that Sam Posey had to step away from the booth, he was much more interesting to listen to. I hated Varsha, and still don't really like his style. Diffey is OK, Murray Walkers voice is very annoying, and there were a couple of english or irish guys who did espn2 coverage back in the mid-nineties who weren't too bad.

It will be interesting to see what trickles down with the new turbo engines coming along. Anyone else notice how much better auto transmissions became after their quick stint in F-1?

VW's about to lose aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalotta money.

[nickthaskater]

duh... i'm not talking about his history, i'm talking about his utter lack of passion and apparent interest. i couldn't care less who the guy is... his commentary is empty and disengaged. if you can't see this (and i know you can since you've seen some Euro commentators no doubt), then you can just stick with Varsha and enjoy it. i'd prefer Diffey, or any number of other hosts. Varsha's about to fall asleep old-man style, and half the time he's obviously not even really paying attention. have you compared his commentary to Diffey's? or are you just not into commentary on Speed. Hobbs & Matchett are ok, but Speed TV keeps making them talk cars 101, which can be pretty annoying every week for an enthusiast who follows every bit. i wish we had an alternative to Speed's dumbed-down american approach.

Varsha has plenty of passion. Listening to him recount his adventures back in the day with Hobbs when they actually got sent to the track, or when he has gone to races on his own, it's quite apparent that he does indeed care about the sport as much as anyone.

I have heard plenty of other broadcasters as well, and as far as I'm concerned, Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett are just as good as any others.

As far as dumbing things down, yes they do that for the Fox broadcasts, but the Speed broadcasts are no more dumbed down than, say, the Sky or BBC broadcasts in Europe. There's no more mistakes in the commentary either (I can't begin to count how many times I've yelled at the TV during a UK broadcast as they blathered on and on and on about something that was categorically incorrect). You don't have to listen to the Button/Hamilton leg-humping on Speed, either, which is always nice.

Posey's voice grates on my eardrums

VW's about to lose aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalotta money.

The fact that they bought Bugatti shows they aren't really afraid to do so.