"The times are not right" for Volkswagen to enter formula one.
That is the view of former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali, who today is the CEO of the VW marque Lamborghini.
Volkswagen is instead well represented in Formula E, with Audi already there are Porsche set to follow.
Domenicali told La Gazzetta dello Sport that the ’dieselgate’ scandal hurt VW’s F1 hopes.
"After everything that happened, the Volkswagen Group decided to invest in Formula E, also as a means of communication in terms of forward-looking technology," said the Italian.
"Of course I would like to be back in formula one someday, but the times are not right for that," Domenicali added.
As for his old F1 employer, Domenicali agreed that Ferrari appears to be at the start of a "great season" with a "very competitive" car.
"But I don’t want to say more," he said.
He also didn’t want to say much about Ferrari’s new team boss, Mattia Binotto.
"It would be wrong to comment on a company that has a firm place in my heart," said Domenicali. "I can only wish Mattia all the best. He is a good friend and has rightly earned a great reputation in recent years."