VW Turmoil Pushes Porsche Chief to Forefront of CEO Race

A rift between Volkswagen AG’s two most senior executives threatens to create a power vacuum that’s set to hasten the search for a new leader.

Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn suffered a public dressing-down by Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who told Der Spiegel magazine on Friday that he had distanced himself from his former confidant and no longer wants him as the next chairman. Piech didn’t say why he’d lost faith in the CEO.