Formula One among options for VW's stablemates

VW bought a stake in Suzuki - in the hope of gaining access to small car technology. Photo / Getty Images

Volkswagen could consider a move into Formula One in 2018, the carmaker's head of motorsports told a German motoring magazine.

"I could imagine involvement in Formula One in 2018, when the company is at the forefront of the industry," Wolfgang Duerheimer told Auto Motor und Sport.

"We have enough brands that could do that," he said, without being more specific.

Ulrich Hackenberg, head of technical development at Volkswagen, this year ruled out any interest in the brand joining Formula One.

But VW's stable of brands also includes multiple Le Mans 24-Hours winners Audi, as well as Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat and Skoda. Porsche itself is one of the great names of motorsport.

The Formula One story appeared at the same time as Volkswagen said it would review its plans to co-operate with Japanese company Suzuki.

VW chief financial officer Hans Dieter Poetsch told investors in Germany: "The strategic co-operation is developing more slowly than expected and is not currently being implemented with the desired level of intensity."

VW bought a stake of 19.9 per cent in Suzuki for US$2.5 billion ($2.8 billion) in 2009 in the hope of gaining access to small car technology and better access to the market in India, where Suzuki is the leading player.

In return, Suzuki would have access to Volkswagen's hybrid and other advanced technologies that it would not be able to afford on its own.

Last month Suzuki executive vice-president Yasuhito Harayama blamed the lack of progress of co-operation on VW's notion it could wield influence over Suzuki's management, saying the two companies needed to go back to the drawing board on their partnership.

Suzuki chief executive Osamu Suzuki said on a Japanese business website that Suzuki had perused Volkswagen's technologies and "found nothing that it wanted right away".