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Blaming the bad economy, Subaru confirmed its sudden departure from the 2009 World Rally Championship. Will this ever end?

So far we've gotten confirmation of Subaru and Suzuki out of WRC, Porsche (LMP2) and Audi (LMP1) out of ALMS, and Honda out of F1. Porque?

It's all about the Carpocalypse. If a company dictates X% cuts across the board or needs to reduce expenses X% this is sometimes the easiest way to do it. There's an argument to be made the old adage "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" doesn't work if people aren't buying on Monday. Nevertheless, this is a major bummer for fans of the three large series

Prodrive/SWRT Announcement
Subaru has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2009 World Rally Championship.

This sudden decision was in response to the widespread economic downturn that is affecting the entire automotive industry, and follows Suzuki’s withdrawal announced yesterday.

After 20 years in the sport, during which time the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team has won six World Rally Championship titles, this is not only sad news for Subaru and the team, but also for millions of rallying fans around the world. Thanks to its highly successful World Rally Championship programme, Subaru has developed into one of the world’s most widely recognised and evocative automotive brands.

Prodrive chairman, David Richards, said: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”

For many, Prodrive and Subaru are synonymous, given the long-standing and close association between the two companies. However, while the Subaru World Rally Team historically represented a significant part of Prodrive’s business, today it accounts for no more than 20 per cent of the company’s turnover.

Prodrive will look to redeploy as many of the rally team as possible in other areas of its business operations, which have grown to span advanced engineering and manufacturing for the automotive, defence, marine and aerospace industries, in addition to other motorsport programmes.

Despite the current economic downturn, Prodrive’s automotive engineering business remains buoyant as it works with vehicle manufacturers to accelerate the development of next generation fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative fuel technologies.

Together with Subaru, Prodrive’s commitment to its customer rally teams will also continue unabated for 2009 and beyond. Over the past 15 years, Prodrive has sold close to 500 rally cars to more than 400 private competitors and independent rally teams in 47 countries. During this time, Prodrive’s customers have won five consecutive Production World Rally Championships and countless international rallies. In 2008, Prodrive-supported customer teams have claimed eight rally championship titles around the world.

Looking ahead, 2010 will see the introduction of new World Rally Championship technical regulations, which provide Prodrive with an opportunity to prepare for re-entering the championship with a new team and build on its 24 years of World Rally Championship experience and success.

FHI Announcement
okyo, December 16, 2008 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced the withdrawal from the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the end of the 2008 season.

FHI has participated in the WRC together with Prodrive, a motorsports and automotive engineering group in the UK, over the past 19 years to pursue its goal and philosophy in motor sports activities to enhance Subaru brand awareness by showing that Subaru vehicles offer safe, comfortable and pleasurable driving no matter the weather or road conditions, featuring Horizontally-Opposed engine and the Symmetrical All-Wheel drive system as its core technologies, and to transfer results of race-tested technical improvements into Subaru passenger vehicles.

Subaru has won three manufacturer’s championship titles and three driver’s championship titles in its history of rally racing. This has helped enhance the value of the Subaru brand as well as the sales expansion of Subaru vehicles all over the world.

FHI considers it has achieved its original target in WRC participation. However, while considering positioning the WRC activity in Subaru branding strategy towards the future, our business environment has been dramatically changed due to the quick deterioration of the global economy. In order to optimize the management resources and to strengthen further the Subaru brand, FHI decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest timing.

As regards future involvement in rally activities, FHI will continue to support teams and drivers that participate in P-WRC or the Group N category.

President Mori commented that reaching this decision has been an extremely difficult task, not least with regards to the countless Subaru fans that for many years have cheered the legendary Subaru blue liveried Impreza World Rally Car; “We would like to express our sincere appreciation for our fans’ strong and loyal support worldwide. They will remain an invaluable treasure for us.”

Capitalizing on the priceless experience gained throughout the history in the WRC field, FHI will continue to offer Subaru customers products that integrate sheer excitement, safe, comfortable and reliable driving, respect of the global environment and peace of mind based on its philosophy of “Customer comes first.”

[Source: Subaru, Prodrive]

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Audi will cease to compete in the 2009 American Le Mans Series despite winning every LMP1 championship since 2000 with their R8 racer and R10 TDI racers. The company claims they'll instead focus on European racing.

This may be an exciting development for any of the other racing teams that actually want to win the LMP1 championship, but it's a blow to the racing series and a seemingly backward step for a company that has used its victories to sell cars, as it acknowledges in the press release they sent out announcing this:

Since the 2000 season Audi has won the LMP1 title nine-times in succession in this high-calibre sportscar championship. Our brand dominated proceedings last season by taking seven wins in eleven races. TDI in racing supported the market launch of Audi TDI technology in the USA perfectly.

So why did this happen? Audi doesn't hand over many details in their press release but there are at least three good possibilities.

The obvious issue could be that the Carpocalypse has claimed another victim and the company doesn't find the racing series fiscally responsible. Since Audi's parent company, Volkswagen AG by Porsche, is doing well we find a purely financial motive to be somewhat unlikely unless sponsorship concerns are an issue but, given they're the champs and Shell is a main sponsor, we're dubious.

It's also possible the ALMS' attempts to saddle the Audi team with restrictions, an effort to make the series more competitive, has scared off the team. Audi is going to debut the new Audi R15 TDI racer at the ALMS Twelve Hours Of Sebring, the first and last event for the new vehicle in America. Perhaps they want to quit while they're ahead.

The final possibility is Audi, in their judgment, decided participation in ALMS, despite their successes, didn't equate to sales. Audi did see an increase between 2006 and 2007 of 3.8% in North America in a difficult market so there's an easy counter-argument.

Audi concentrates on European motorsport

* Programmes in the DTM, at Le Mans and in customer sport
* No activities in the 2009 American Le Mans Series

Ingolstadt – Audi concentrates its motorsport programmes for the 2009 season on the new R15 TDI sport prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the re-worked racing touring car A4 DTM and the newly developed R8 LMS for customer use in the GT3 class. Audi will not be represented by its factory team Audi Sport North America in the American Le Mans Series in 2009.

As a result of its newly aligned motorsport programme Audi offers its motorsport customers a bespoke vehicle concept for the first time: Audi Sport developed the new R8 LMS specifically to suit the user-friendly and cost-effective requirements in the production-based GT3 class in international motorsport. The powerful 500 hp plus race car based on the Audi R8 is due to be delivered in order to prove itself on track throughout the 2009 season.

The American Le Mans Series involvement will not be continued. Audi entered the American Le Mans Series in the year 2000 and has been instrumental in building up this championship ever since. The championship developed to become one of the most fascinating motorsport series within a few years, which offered and still offers the ever increasing fan community exciting motorsport. The ALMS is also recognised internationally and is regarded as the world’s best sportscar championship. "The decision to withdraw was a very difficult one also for these reasons. Furthermore, with the Champion racing team we also had a partner that operates at the highest level. The extraordinary dedication and precision of Team Champion was the key to Audi’s victories over the last few years in America. We achieved an unprecedented winning series together. Since the 2000 season Audi has won the LMP1 title nine-times in succession in this high-calibre sportscar championship. Our brand dominated proceedings last season by taking seven wins in eleven races. TDI in racing supported the market launch of Audi TDI technology in the USA perfectly," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich positively of the AUDI AG involvement in the ALMS.

Even though AUDI AG concentrates its factory involvement at European venues throughout the 2009 season in these economically tough times, the American motorsport friends will be treated to a premiere: The completely newly developed Audi R15 TDI sports prototype should make its debut on 21 March 2009 during the 12-hour race at Sebring, Florida (USA). This international sportscar classic, which should be contested by Audi Sport Team Joest, is traditionally regarded as excellent preparation and final test-race for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France). At the same time, the race at Sebring with its special demands made of man and machine guarantees excellent motorsport.

[Source: Audi, Photos: Robin Thompson for Audi of America]

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