So who might buy Jaguar?
Discussion
So, who do you think might want to buy a F1 team and a place in the circus?
In my dreams, I think it would be wonderful if a consortium could get Lotus back on the grid, but I can't see that happening.
So its got to be a major manufacturer I guess - unless the rule changes will make it viable for independents once again.
So will anyone buy the team or will it end up in an auction garage sale like Arrows did?
In my dreams, I think it would be wonderful if a consortium could get Lotus back on the grid, but I can't see that happening.
So its got to be a major manufacturer I guess - unless the rule changes will make it viable for independents once again.
So will anyone buy the team or will it end up in an auction garage sale like Arrows did?
Dieter Mateschitz the owner of Red Bull has been rumored to be looking at buying a team for a couple of years and previously approached Ford to buy Jaguar F1. He has to be a favorite as Ford have said that they are already talking to some people.
A longer shot is probably Christian Horner of F3000 team Arden, who has also expressed an interest in moving to F1.
A longer shot is probably Christian Horner of F3000 team Arden, who has also expressed an interest in moving to F1.
pcameron said:
Dieter Mateschitz the owner of Red Bull has been rumored to be looking at buying a team for a couple of years and previously approached Ford to buy Jaguar F1. He has to be a favorite as Ford have said that they are already talking to some people..
He's currently supporting Eddie Cheever's IRL team, Eddie is Ex-F1 and the pieces could fit into place quite nicely.
Well the BBC have already reported the Tony Purnell MBO.
So maybe it 'll tie up with Red Bull money and Eddie Cheever's engineering.
But what would they call it? Is there a manufacturer waiting in the wings?
Might expect to see the deal involve Cosworth as well, as they are also for sale.
So maybe it 'll tie up with Red Bull money and Eddie Cheever's engineering.
But what would they call it? Is there a manufacturer waiting in the wings?
Might expect to see the deal involve Cosworth as well, as they are also for sale.
Saw something this morning that Stefan Johannson is interested in running a F1 team as he either had a champ car or irl team in the states.
Were it not for the fact that he would have probably charged me rent for being there, would love to have been a fly on the wall when Bernie heard that Ford were pulling out.
Only 18 cars on the grid in 2005 if no-one picks up Jaguar, and if Jordan and Minardi can't hack it either, then what price F1? 3 car teams from everyone else to keep the show rolling? They will be pleased.
Wake up and smell the coffee chaps. The real world bites back.
Were it not for the fact that he would have probably charged me rent for being there, would love to have been a fly on the wall when Bernie heard that Ford were pulling out.
Only 18 cars on the grid in 2005 if no-one picks up Jaguar, and if Jordan and Minardi can't hack it either, then what price F1? 3 car teams from everyone else to keep the show rolling? They will be pleased.
Wake up and smell the coffee chaps. The real world bites back.
Liszt said:
Audi has hinted at getting in to F1 after dominating the Le Mans racing.
Audi's making a new LMP sportscar, so I doubt it.
Jaguar got so much publicity from Le Mans etc in the 80s/90s, yet the idiots at Ford decided that F1 was the place to be, so they threw millions at it and acheived nothing - save embarrasment. Jag should've gone GT or sportscar racing instead.
Audi, on the other hand, has spent a tiny fraction of an F1 budget on winning Le Mans 4 times for itself and once for Bentley - creating massive publicity and showing, through FSI, a half-reasonable race/road car link. Top brass at Ingolstadt are now courting other manufacturers to persuade them to go sportscar racing too - which is bloody great in my opinion!
Toyota must be regretting getting into F1 now, too. $400 million a year to get just about nowhere. Surely the top brass there must be wondering why they deserted the rich pickings of the WRC and the spectacle of Le Mans.
Mutt K said:
Only 18 cars on the grid in 2005 if no-one picks up Jaguar, and if Jordan and Minardi can't hack it either, then what price F1? 3 car teams from everyone else to keep the show rolling? They will be pleased.
Wake up and smell the coffee chaps. The real world bites back.
The Concorde Agreement guarantees promoters a minimum of 20 cars on the grid.
Time for the Cockney Geezer to step down I think.
Considering the fact that the "sport" is about to launch itself into new markets like China and Russia, the fact that the manufacturers are giving up on it is evidence of some really rotten management decisions somewhere.
On the one hand Bernie get F1 into new countries, but he is so determined to shaft the manufacturers and take the money for himslef that he might be left with no "sport" to promote.
A new track in Russia or China is not much fun if there are only half a dozen makers bothered to race.
Considering the fact that the "sport" is about to launch itself into new markets like China and Russia, the fact that the manufacturers are giving up on it is evidence of some really rotten management decisions somewhere.
On the one hand Bernie get F1 into new countries, but he is so determined to shaft the manufacturers and take the money for himslef that he might be left with no "sport" to promote.
A new track in Russia or China is not much fun if there are only half a dozen makers bothered to race.
Even though the Concorde agreements seems to indicate that the remaining teams would have to put up three cars each - what happens if two more teams pull out? A very real possibility, in my opinion. Each team adding extra cars isn't going to solve the fundamental problems associated with F1.
Because Bernie has essentially set F1 up as a closed shop, it is now almost impossible for a newcomer to get a foot in the door. This was all well and good when there was a surfeit of outfits clamouring to take part. That is not the case anymore. Therefore, the admission rules for new teams MUST be relaxed or else the whole thing will shrivel and die.
If not enough teams are available to keep the show viable, the FIA will have to step in and totally redraw the F1 regulations, both technical and commercial, to come up with a more open and accessable package. Back in 1952 the governing body of the day (the CSI) were faced with the exact same situation - and decided that for 1952 and 1953, the World Drivers Championship would be fought by Formula 2 cars - with the reintroduction of a new Formula 1 in 1954. If it hadn't done that, the whole idea of a World Championship might have died there and then.
This is serious folks and if I was Bernie, I'd be getting all the team leaders around the table for crisis talks.
Because Bernie has essentially set F1 up as a closed shop, it is now almost impossible for a newcomer to get a foot in the door. This was all well and good when there was a surfeit of outfits clamouring to take part. That is not the case anymore. Therefore, the admission rules for new teams MUST be relaxed or else the whole thing will shrivel and die.
If not enough teams are available to keep the show viable, the FIA will have to step in and totally redraw the F1 regulations, both technical and commercial, to come up with a more open and accessable package. Back in 1952 the governing body of the day (the CSI) were faced with the exact same situation - and decided that for 1952 and 1953, the World Drivers Championship would be fought by Formula 2 cars - with the reintroduction of a new Formula 1 in 1954. If it hadn't done that, the whole idea of a World Championship might have died there and then.
This is serious folks and if I was Bernie, I'd be getting all the team leaders around the table for crisis talks.
You know from what I see Toyota will probably pull out shortly (they can't go on spending what they are without results), Minardi are going to be a little bother with engines next year as are Jordan, Ferrari are talking about pulling out (through a hat I presume)...
Worst case is you are left with Sauber, Williams and McLaren
Worst case is you are left with Sauber, Williams and McLaren
Ahonen said:
Jaguar got so much publicity from Le Mans etc in the 80s/90s, yet the idiots at Ford decided that F1 was the place to be, so they threw millions at it and acheived nothing - save embarrasment. Jag should've gone GT or sportscar racing instead.
F1 was a perfectly sensible route for Jaguar: they'd already won Le Mans and the sports car World Championship. What went wrong was that Ford tried to run the team themselves, rather than paying the bills and letting a specialist do it for them, which historically has almost always been the way they have been successful in top-level motor sport. There's no way you can run a Formula 1 team through Ford's beaurocracy, as they have proved on several previous occasions. Stewart achieved a great deal using Ford money, but as soon as Ford took the reins it all went backwards.
Andrew Noakes said:
F1 was a perfectly sensible route for Jaguar: they'd already won Le Mans and the sports car World Championship. What went wrong was that Ford tried to run the team themselves, rather than paying the bills and letting a specialist do it for them, which historically has almost always been the way they have been successful in top-level motor sport. There's no way you can run a Formula 1 team through Ford's beaurocracy, as they have proved on several previous occasions. Stewart achieved a great deal using Ford money, but as soon as Ford took the reins it all went backwards.
Very well said!!
I will never understand why they just didn't think "boy Stewart are kicking ass lets send them a few more ££££ and see what happens" - they blundered in with the corporate marketing people and made a race winning team into a laughing stock...over the winter. And its taken them 4 years to get back to the level stewart were at in '98/'99
Serves Ford Right I'm afraid.
I think in particular the selling of Cosworth is daft. They aren't just an F1 engine builder they are a specialist engineering firm. You'd think Ford would want to keep hold of that talent. Obviously not...
I don't have exact figures but my understanding was that Toyotas $400 mil budget was peanuts among their total yearly budget and income so I don't think they will pull out now that they have fortified themselves. Minardi/Jordan the next to die. How about laxer regulations for the 2 slowest teams? BAR and Renault are really doing well considering how tough it is to make it in F1. I've always wondered why Bill Gates, Soros, or Penault (french guy rich name?) doesn't just swope in and spend a few billion to have fun. GM at one time was considering F1 but now the US automakers are all struggling (Minardi would have a team they could beat).
I don't think the situation is as dire as some would like to paint it.
I don't think the situation is as dire as some would like to paint it.
There are lots of millionaires out there who have absolutely NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in F1 or even motor racing.
As for having fun - it seems to me that the words "fun" and "F1" don't really go together these days. If I had millions to throw away, even I as a dedicated motor racing fan would be highly unlikely to get inolved in "The Piranha Club".
What millionaire car nuts seem to do is build up collections of classic racing cars and go racing themselves. Much more fun to my mind.
As for having fun - it seems to me that the words "fun" and "F1" don't really go together these days. If I had millions to throw away, even I as a dedicated motor racing fan would be highly unlikely to get inolved in "The Piranha Club".
What millionaire car nuts seem to do is build up collections of classic racing cars and go racing themselves. Much more fun to my mind.
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff