New team for 2016/17

[Crafty_]

Gaz. said:

I'm certain it isn't a buy-out as the FIA are requesting applicants for new teams.

This is correct, any buy out of Lotus (or any other team) is in addition to a new team.

The press release does say that if the FIA don't like the look of the applicants they won't grant an entry to any of them.

[hairyben]

Gaz. said:

Crafty_ said:

This is correct, any buy out of Lotus (or any other team) is in addition to a new team.

The press release does say that if the FIA don't like the look of the applicants they won't grant an entry to any of them.

They always say that on the invites although that didn't stop them with USF1 although didn't Prodrive fail to make the cut?

Like you I also think this invite is retrospective.

I believe spankster was looking for weak teams that'd be easy to mold/bolster his "side" against the power broker teams in those turbulent times; prodrive were one of several more feasible proposals that lost out to the bunch of losers mosely decided on.

[MissChief]

I did hear that Prodrive not making it was not just because they refused to use the FIA's preferred Cosworth engine but because of a personal disagreement between Dave Richards and Bernie and/or Max. They certainly don't or didn't get on.

[Crafty_]

hairyben said:

I believe spankster was looking for weak teams that'd be easy to mold/bolster his "side" against the power broker teams in those turbulent times; prodrive were one of several more feasible proposals that lost out to the bunch of losers mosely decided on.

Agreed, I always saw Spanky as a frustrated politician - couldn't go that way due to family history and thus played out his megalomaniac inklings within the FIA. I can quite imagine him happy to accept a team or two if he could rely on their support.

Mind you, at least he had a bit of presence and even turned up from time to time, Todt is totally anonymous since he got the job. I wonder who, if anyone will oppose him in 2017.

[Crafty_]

Bob Bell has gone to Manor as a consultant:

https://www.facebook.com/ManorRacing/posts/8269182...

Along with Luca Furbatto (head of design) from STR and Gianluca Pisanello as chief engineer (ex Caterham & Toyota).

Sounds like positive moves for the team.

If Renault are buying Lotus and want him to run Enstone either he doesn't know or is biding his time ?

Edited by Crafty_ on Monday 1st June 19:05

[thegreenhell]

I can't help thinking that this is all just part of Bernie's plan to allow customer teams.

[Quartz Ninja]

Could the new team/12th entry possibly be Forza Rossa - the Romanian group that involved some ministers, Ferrari dealers and Colin Kolles?

Didn't they make some noise a year or so ago about entering a team in 2015 but then went quiet - partly (perhaps) because Kolles then appeared as a consultant at Caterham F1, when the mysterious Swiss/Arab consortium bought out Tony Fernandes?

In the auction/fire-sale of Caterham's (F1) assets, could Forza Rossa have brought a load of their machining tools (etc) on the cheap, allowing them to quietly put in place some of the equipment needed to start manufacturing their own parts etc, in preparation for a 2016 entry??

[Crafty_]

Forza Rossa already got granted an entry before Caterham went bust, it may have even been before Fernandes sold the team.

They just never showed up or in fact, showed anything - they were just a name on a piece of paper.

I read somewhere they forfeited the entry by not paying the entry fees when they should have, but I don't know how true that is.

[hdrflow]

Kolles is doing LMP1 in WEC so he does seem to be organised.

The fact that a name hasn't been announced seems to indicate that there is no new team (unless is Fernandes and Gascoigne all over again ).

I struggle to understand why would anyone want to join F1 when taking the current governance model in consideration, unless you're a manufacturer of significant stature.

Manor are a quite likeable team but Bell will just bail out to whatever Renault ends up buying but a few quid richer. I hope the rest of the appointments make Manor a lot stronger.

[suffolk009]

I reckon ART will join F1 as a clean-sheet team with a fair bit of help from McLaren-Honda. Stoffel and Kevin to drive.

I think Renault will buy Manor, and completely rebrand as the works Renault team. By the middle of their first season they'll be beating Red Bull. Spice Boy will be wondering why it all went so wrong. Newey will win the America's cup with Ainslie and Whitmarsh.

More importantly though Red Bull will be a customer team - their future will follow the exact same trajectory as Merc customers. Also Red Bull will beaten by Toro Rosso, then Matestz(sp?) will sell Red Bull for one pound to anyone with the money.

Lotus will continue to jog around the back competing with Williams and FI for best of the Merc customers.

Merc factory will begin the slow slide to mid-field runner at some point after mid season 2016.

Audi will still not enter F1.

Just some ideas. Inevitably all will be wrong.

[Quartz Ninja]

Crafty_ said:

Forza Rossa already got granted an entry before Caterham went bust, it may have even been before Fernandes sold the team.

They just never showed up or in fact, showed anything - they were just a name on a piece of paper.

I read somewhere they forfeited the entry by not paying the entry fees when they should have, but I don't know how true that is.

I thought that they might be doing a Haas and deferring their entry until 2016, although I'm sure the FIA wouldn't be too happy if they fortified their 2015 entry *and* didn't pay for it either. If they had paid for their 2015 entry, then I'd guess that the FIA would allow them a year's delay like they have done with Haas.

Although they were set-up before the demise of Caterham, I thought Cateram's collapse would have provided Forza Rossa the opportunity to get F1 spec equipment/machine tools on the cheap; as Kolles was at Caterham for a while, I'd sure he could of given pointers to what was worthwhile/needed, if they could secure it at a good price at the subsequent auction.

Perhaps my imagination is going into overdrive and giving Forza Rossa too much credit when, perhaps, they're just another Stefan Grand Prix or a USF1

As for other alternatives... (which is probably all completely wrong)

I'd probably say it's a brand new group of relatively unknowns, largely full of hot air.

I think we can safely discount Renault, as they've been linked to existing teams. I'd be surprised if Renault did buy into an old team anyway, as it seems bizarre that they were also considering leaving F1 all together; it just seems odd that the other option is to go for the huge expensive of a full works effort.

I doubt VW/Audi would come in so soon, if the were to enter anyway; like Renault, I'd think they go for an existing squad.

I'm not sure if I buy the ART McLaren/Honda junior squad idea. Would ART really want to come in as a second string squad? I'd be surprised if Honda wanted to stump up some cash for another team and entertain the possibility of having 4 of the 6 cars at the back being powered by them!!

I'm guessing Honda are probably having to overspend in their R&D budget at the moment, as I'm guessing they didn't think they'd be this far behind when they did their business planning for their F1 return. [I'm also guessing, to some degree, they're having to make up for the lack of title sponsor for McLaren as I'd probably think they were hoping for such a sponsor to contribute to Alonso's sizable pay packet). I can't imagine the Honda board/accountants aren't too happy about the current situation and I'd doubt they have the stomach to throw more money at it, providing support to a brand new team. If anything, I'd say Honda could pull out of F1 if they have another poor season next year.