Volkswagen, the German carmaking giant, has played down suggestions it could launch a formula one project some time soon.

“There are always rumours about Volkswagen and formula one,” said Jost Capito, who has taken over from Kris Nissen as the head of the Wolfsburg-based company’s motor racing boss.

However, he is quoted by Germany’s Sport1 as insisting that VW is only concentrating on its world rally programme.

“The WRC programme is approved from 2013 to 2015,” Capito insisted. “There is no room to think about anything else.

“It (F1) is not on our radar,” he is also quoted as saying by France’s L’Equipe. “Our hands are full already.”

In the wake of BMW, Honda and Toyota’s departures, the only mass production carmakers in F1 are Renault – as an engine supplier – and Mercedes.

Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus and Caterham produce niche sports cars.

Former German grand prix driver and now Volkswagen’s competition representative Hans-Joachim Stuck has had surgery after a head injury.

German-language reports including in the Welt, Kleine Zeitung and Express newspapers say the operation on Saturday was for a hematoma that developed after a heavy crash in an Audi R8 at the Nurburgring several weeks ago.

At another event last weekend, the VW Scirocco Cup support race at the Nurburgring, he complained of headaches, dizziness, loss of balance and nausea.

The reports say Stuck, who contested 81 races in the 70s, has been transferred from intensive care to a normal hospital ward in the German town Neuwied.

“We advised Strietzel (Stuck) after practice to consult a doctor,” confirmed VW motorsport director Kris Nissen.

The marque’s spokesman Stefan Moser confirmed the reports about Stuck’s surgery.

A formula one foray for Volkswagen would probably see the Audi or Porsche names above the garage doors.

It has been reported for some time that the German carmaker giant is interested in entering the sport as an engine supplier but only if the FIA green-lights the touted ‘world engine’ for 2013.

As for the branding of the project, VW’s motor racing boss Kris Nissen said: “Within the group, for sure, it could be Audi, it could be Porsche and might also be Volkswagen.

“I think it would not suit so well Skoda or Seat or Bentley,” he is quoted as saying at last weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hour race by the Brisbane Times.

Toyota, however, is not interested in returning to formula one any time soon, after failing to win a single grand prix during its more than $3 billion F1 foray between 2002 and last year.

“There is a big gap between formula one and Toyota’s actual car users,” former team principal Tadashi Yamashina is quoted by Automotive News.

“F1 remains the pinnacle of auto racing, but its image grew too elitist,” he added.

(GMM)

May 5 (GMM)  Former F1 driver Derek Warwick will be the driver representative in the stewards room this weekend in Barcelona, it has been confirmed.

After Alain Prost, Tom Kristensen, Johnny Herbert and Alex Wurz fulfilled the FIA duties at the first four races of 2010, it is now the turn of Briton Warwick, a veteran of 162 grands prix between 1981 and 1993.

Another notable F1 steward in Spain this weekend is Nicolas Deschaux, the president of France’s motor racing federation FFSA.

FIA president Jean Todt’s new scheme, where an experienced former driver sits alongside the three other stewards at grands prix, is designed to add credibility to their decisions.

Alain Prost fulfilled the role in Bahrain, followed by eight time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in Australia and then Johnny Herbert at last weekend’s Malaysian grand prix.

Austrian Wurz, 36, will be the fourth steward at the Chinese grand prix in Shanghai next weekend, according to Germany’s Passauer Neue Presse.

He last raced in F1 with Williams in 2007.