My Curious Bystander this week takes a look at the VAGroup. It seems that few people can understand why they are not in some way tied into F1. Yes the old argument that they are in Rally (with Skoda) touring cars (with Seat) and Le Mans (with Audi) goes some way to using the companies competition budget up. However can it stay that way for much longer?

Both BWM and Mercedes have got ‘big’ teams in F1 now, and if VW want to compete at the same level selling cars surely they need to compete at the same level in racing.

Well then this is where my thoughts come in. It seems that the Champ Car series no longer need the Cosworth engine company due to it’s link up with the IndyCart series, so will Forsyth and Kalkhoven sell the engine company on?

Well I think they will, and it would not be any surprise if the people who bought it were none other than VAGroup. Why? well VAG have owned Cosworth before, you didn’nt realise that did you. In 1998 Vickers (the then owners) sold Cosworth to VW, who in turn sold the race devision to Ford, this is why up until recently the Ford engine supplier was Cosworth Racing and not Cosworth, this made little difference as everyone called it Cosworth anyway. The VW side of what was left was called Cosworth Technology, the company specialised in Aluminium and power-train development consultancy work. Some (if not most) of the Audi engines powering the VW fleet today owe something at least to Cosworth. VW however sold CT to the Mahle Group in 2004.

So why would VW like the Cosworth name back? well it is a universal brand that is know by every petrol head in the world. Also the history of the engine maker is unprecedented, the F1 world would not be what it is today without Cosworth and it’s mighty DFV.

So where does that leave VW if they purchase Cosworth? Well it’s well known inside F1 circles that the two Red Bull teams are looking for engines. Red Bull would like to have something other than the Ferrari lump (odd as that sounds) and the V10 in the Toro Rosso cars has to go (or there will be uproar). VW and Red Bull have long been involved together in Motor Sport, so a tie up between them would not be a shock. This would lead to one small issue, what happens to the Cosworth brand? Will the team be Red Bull-Audi-Cosworth and Toro Rosso-VW-Cosworth? that would make sense, use one engine, two teams, two brands. 

Anyhow we will have to see exactly how it pans out, VW may not be interested (although it would help to have Cosworth on board for the in house performance engines for the group, they do own Lamborghini after all). They could buy the Cosworth engine plant and then ditch the name (doubtful). Or they could just make it part of the brand. It would not hurt their rally program to have a ‘Powered by Cosworth’ on the side of the cars, it would be a big two fingers up to the Ford cars as well, as for years that has been written on their cars.

This week we have a good chunk of news and rumours to go through. There is the 'news' that Schumi has signed a $60 million 2 year deal with Ferrari and that Rossi will make his mind up shortly on his future. The news39;s that Toyota and Honda have both 'got their tyre problems sorted', as well as the huge serge to join F1 in 2008.

First up then is the teams asking to join in 2008. Some of these are well established teams in their own rights, Prodrive have shown themselves in WRC for years now running the works Subaru team. Then their is the news that the Minardi team with Paul Stoddard will be back as well, and that Carlin Motorsport want to move up from the F3 ranks into the big game.

Unfortunately for some of them however they will not be allowed to race. The grid limit is 12 teams (of 2 cars) so we have at least 2 of the aforementioned teams out in the cold. Who will it be? Well David Richards from Prodrive used to run the BAR team, and was ousted, so who did he annoy? was it just Honda/BAT or was it other people in the pit lane? Paul Stoddard is a well know antagonist of the FIA, the other team bosses seem to like him at times and dislike him at others, will the FIA veto his entry, or they may not have too as Warwick county council may not even let them build the facility outside of Birmingham? We are then left with Carlin Motorsport who have no F1 baggage.

Then there is the strange situation next year where there are more top drives available than top drivers, We now 'know' that one of the Ferrari seat's has gone to MS, with the other available. Then there is the Renault seat that Alonso has left vacated now he has gone to Mclaren. Then there is the Red Bull seat's, Coultard will probably go into management sometime soon. Toyota have got a bit more budget after saving the Gasgoyne wages. Yes Ralph is set to stay till the end of 2007 but he certainly has not delivered enough to justify the rumoured $20+ million wage slip. Then we have the second seat at Mclaren, and the two seats at Williams.

What would I like to see? well I think that Toyota should pick up Montoya to give Ralph a kick in the butt. Alonso would do well with a fast challenger, and I think that Rosberg could fill that gap admirably, so that's McLaren sorted. Next up is Renault, I think Kimi may take the number 1 role, and probably have Fisi as his companion. Ferrari? Well Schumi has signed for 2 more year's and I think they will make a place for Rossi if he decides to try the 4 wheel life out, if not Rossi then Massa is doing a good job there. Red Bull, Well we may see DC there for one more year to help bring in the new Newey chassis, but I doubt if Klien will stay, instead of him I think we may see Scott Speed be upgraded to first team duties. Honda will obviously have Button in the main seat, but will Rubens be driving for them next year? that all depends on his season this year. Williams? well it would be a shame if Webber was to not be the team leader, with him I think Trulli may do well in the Grove team.

What other surprises may be lurking? well I think some of the highly regard drivers that are currently on test duties may get decent seats. Anthony Davidson has deserved one for a while now, along with Pedro de la Rossa, Heikki Kovalainen (with him possibly getting a main seat at Renault, as he is Flavio's protege).

So the 2007 season should be a cracker, and I cannot wait to see what happens with the seat shuffle for next year. Then we have 2008 with the new teams, and probably new drivers showing their faces. If the FIA don't mess the rules up too much F1 could go from strength to strength.