the story behind the F1 Prodrive/customer car controversy

[Henry Carey]

This explains the whole problem, and interviews David Richards on why Prodrive has pulled out:


(Website reference removed)

Edited by nubbin. on Monday 26th November 23:02

[rubystone]

"It doesn’t make sense. It’s run by people who want to go motor racing, not by people who want to run a business.”

That sums up DR's approach and is precisely why Frank Williams is ptoesting...alnog with safeguarding the thick end of 1,000 jobs

[Adrian W]

Err, so what does Max do and what does Bernie do, someone tell me please!

[rupert the dog]

rubystone said:

"It doesn’t make sense. It’s run by people who want to go motor racing, not by people who want to run a business.”

That sums up DR's approach and is precisely why Frank Williams is ptoesting...alnog with safeguarding the thick end of 1,000 jobs

Bit scary that quote, isn't it? Without "people who want to go motor racing" we wouldn't have any motorsport. So perhaps F1 is better off without Mr Richards - I'm sorry to have to say that as I thought originally he was doing a good job with BAR.

[toomuchbeer]

rupert the dog said:

rubystone said:

"It doesn’t make sense. It’s run by people who want to go motor racing, not by people who want to run a business.”

That sums up DR's approach and is precisely why Frank Williams is ptoesting...alnog with safeguarding the thick end of 1,000 jobs

Bit scary that quote, isn't it? Without "people who want to go motor racing" we wouldn't have any motorsport. So perhaps F1 is better off without Mr Richards - I'm sorry to have to say that as I thought originally he was doing a good job with BAR.

I think you have the wrong end of the stick. I feel DR wants a successful F1 Team, with secure backing to keep it going. Not a fly by night, no budget type of affair.

What I find funny, is that the FIA seem to be still saying Prodrive have a place in the 2008 F1 season. But it is Bernie that is not letting them in, due to the stall in negotiations on the concorde agreement. One expects money is everthing. So rupert, I think you'll find money men are everywhere in F1, and DR isn't the only one. But I feel he is shrued enough, once in, he can make a team work.

[skibum]

I agree - I think that what he means is that he wants a team run by both kinds of people. The business needs to be stable and run properly (especially with so many people employed) and those in the team that want "to go racing" are left to concentrate soley on that - rather than having a stab at running a multimillion pound turnover company.

Surely a new team that is planning on staying around long term is much better than the debacle that is the Jordan/Midland/Spyker/etc.. with owners playing at F1 and then changing their mind when they dont win. With more cars that are equally competitive the spectacle for the viewer will also be better.

[rubystone]

skibum said:

I agree - I think that what he means is that he wants a team run by both kinds of people. The business needs to be stable and run properly (especially with so many people employed) and those in the team that want "to go racing" are left to concentrate soley on that - rather than having a stab at running a multimillion pound turnover company.

Surely a new team that is planning on staying around long term is much better than the debacle that is the Jordan/Midland/Spyker/etc.. with owners playing at F1 and then changing their mind when they dont win. With more cars that are equally competitive the spectacle for the viewer will also be better.

Firstly apologies for the spelling earlier - crap laptop keyboard. DR has never made it a secret that he ensures each project is bankrolled before it is given the green-light - that's why Frederic Dor bankrolled the 550 and then Aston GT initiatives. You can't knock such an approach can you?

I cannot however understand how he hopes to compete with the big boys in F1 without control over developments on the car throughout the year. Are McLaren really going to provide him with development parts in parallel with their "works" efforts?...even allowing for RD's approach to equality, I cannot imagine McLaren's partners being happy to pay a high ratecard for space on the silver cars, when Prodrive's clones are up there competing for wins with them...

As to Force India, what interested me was why none of the previous owners looked at striking a deal on the same lines as STR or Aguri. I am sure that the team was bought as an investment at a time when the only route into F1 was via buying out an existing team and when the bond was in place - which presented a high barrier to entry. Once the idea of customer cars was mooted, I am betting that Schnaider could foresee a fall in the value of his investment and thus wanted a route out.

If DR really wanted into F1, why didn't he approach Mol at a time when he knew Spyker were stapped for cash?...or Berger re STR when rumours were strong that they might be for sale?

[mystomachehurts]

rubystone said:

If DR really wanted into F1, why didn't he approach Mol at a time when he knew Spyker were stapped for cash?...or Berger re STR when rumours were strong that they might be for sale?

Probably because he wanted to get his hands on a car that he knew was going to put him at the front end of the grid?

[skwdenyer]

Henry Carey said:

This explains the whole problem, and interviews David Richards on why Prodrive has pulled out:


(Website reference removed)

Edited by nubbin. on Monday 26th November 23:02

Perhaps Nubbin could actually comment as to why the website reference has been removed, rather than just editing out something of interest to us? I for one would like to have looked at the article being referenced.

[Nic Jones]

skwdenyer

I think this was the article, but am not 100% sure (only skimming through at work)

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64096

No doubt it's bin time for me for undoing the good mods work in deleting things without comment

Edited by Nic Jones on Wednesday 28th November 15:38

[skwdenyer]

Nic Jones said:

skwdenyer

I think this was the article, but am not 100% sure (only skimming through at work)

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64096

No doubt it's bin time for me for undoing the good mods work in deleting things without comment

Edited by Nic Jones on Wednesday 28th November 15:38

Strange if it was - I'd have expected it to be a non-Haymarket site...

[andyps]

It wasn't that one - I honestly can't remember what the site was but there was a link on it to a pdf document with a lot of information about the situation with views from various people I think - printed out but not read yet.

[skwdenyer]

I note, with a fair to degree of dismay, that Nubbin has still not seen fit to explain why the link was removed.

Note that I'm not calling into question why a moderation decision that has been explained has been made, I'm asking for that explanation. My opinion of the Haymarket-era PH will be lower if none is forthcoming.

[bulb763]

try this

I must be missing something, because I can't see any reason for it to have been removed. Happy for it to be taken down again with a good reason though

[D_Mike]

presumably because its a magazine that you can subscribe to and isn't published by haymarket?

[Nic Jones]

You might be right, perhaps this is one of the downsides of haymarket buying PH.

You'd still think Nubbin would let you know though

[Chrisgr31]

D_Mike said:

presumably because its a magazine that you can subscribe to and isn't published by haymarket?

I think not. There are scores of links all over the place for non Haymarket motorsport content. I would guess it is more to do with unauthorised advertising

[skwdenyer]

Chrisgr31 said:

D_Mike said:

presumably because its a magazine that you can subscribe to and isn't published by haymarket?

I think not. There are scores of links all over the place for non Haymarket motorsport content. I would guess it is more to do with unauthorised advertising

Ah-ha, does Henry work for the site in question?