If you’re in any way familiar with the Ford Focus RS, then you’ve probably heard the name Jost Capito thrown around here and there. That’s because Capito was most recently the head of Ford’s global performance division and has previously overseen the development of high-performance engines at BMW.
Unfortunately for Ford fans, Capito is now moving to Volkswagen Motorsport starting May 1, 2012. Why? Because Capito has strong ties to motorsport, having been co-pilot for the winning 1985 Paris-Dakar Rally team in the truck category, head of Motorsport Organisation at Porsche in 1989, and Chief Operating Officer of the Sauber Red Bull Formula 1 team from 1998.
The 53-year-old Capito will take over from current director Kris Nissen, who has been Director of Volkswagen Motorsport since 2003 and who will assist Capito though a transition phase before moving into an advisory role for the Volkwagen Group. Nissen himself helped Volkswagen to a double victory at the 2009 Dakar Rally and repeated one-two-three podium finishes in both 2010 and 2011.
While the move won’t help speculation surrounding the delayed next-generation Focus RS it does reignite a glimmer of hope for the stalled Volkswagen Polo R project.
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