New F1 team could run old 2002 Arrows cars
Discussion
Team Super Aguri, run by former F1 peddler Aguri Suzuki might be trying to do a deal with Paul Stoddart to run the old Arrows cars that Minardi bought following the collapse of Arrows in 2002. Suzuki has already got a customer Honda engine deal in hand but I can't see old cars being competitive enough to be anything other than slow back markers? The last season for Arrows did produce a good car, in 2002 it could be a middle pack runner when allowed to run without restrictons but 3 years on? Although Minardi were running 2002 cars up until Imola 2005 that's hardly saying much since they were firmly rooted at the back of the grid.
Team Super Aguri have moved into the old Arrows factory at Leafield so they should feel at home, but the rumour that they are buying the Arrows 3 seater to race is wide of the mark
>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Wednesday 23 November 21:51
Team Super Aguri have moved into the old Arrows factory at Leafield so they should feel at home, but the rumour that they are buying the Arrows 3 seater to race is wide of the mark
>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Wednesday 23 November 21:51
FourWheelDrift said:
Although Minardi were running 2002 cars up until Imola 2005 that's hardly saying much since they were firmly rooted at the back of the grid.
>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Wednesday 23 November 21:51
they were only four or five seconds off the pace, now i know that is a long time over a single lap of a motor race but they hardly had the drivers to get the best out of the car last year did they?
they were slugging it out with Jordan for the ninth row of the grid and I dont think htey were too far behind them. Quite frankly, i can only see the gap between the top and the bottom of F1 becoming bigger.
The A23 was a good car - Mike Coughlan designed it. I can't see the whole thing working if only the tub is used though - Stoddie found that the car was actually quicker than his (year newer) Minardis but not so quick that it would have been worth the effort to go with it.
At best this is just to ensure that Suzuki doesn't sacrifice a percentage of his deposit for 2006, at worse, it's just another element of the smokescreen that may be "Team Suzuki F1"...did anyone see their ad in Autosport - got to have been the most general advert I have ever seen!
At best this is just to ensure that Suzuki doesn't sacrifice a percentage of his deposit for 2006, at worse, it's just another element of the smokescreen that may be "Team Suzuki F1"...did anyone see their ad in Autosport - got to have been the most general advert I have ever seen!
Hughesie2 said:
At least they don't have to think about crash testing if the Arrows has already been done.
I would have thought that crash testing has moved on since 2002 ??
Non ??
Possibly but I then can't work out who they could replace a 3 year old car with a new one if they need to destroy one in crash testing, maybe lose one in pre-season testing or over the season. They'd have to make one themselves which they could be doing now.
I just see repeated images of the Mastercard sponsored Lola from a few years back being 15 seconds off the pace at Melbourne and promptly disappearing.
FourWheelDrift said:
I just see repeated images of the Mastercard sponsored Lola from a few years back being 15 seconds off the pace at Melbourne and promptly disappearing.
Yep, same here. It seems ridiculous to announce an F1 project without any of the infrastructure in place. F1 is incredibly hard even with all the ingredients working properly, so to even attempt it with one hand (or both, in this case) tied behind your back is suicide. Surely it would have been better for Mr Suzuki to announce a plan for 2007 now, thus giving himself a year to get everything together. I can't believe he hasn't even looked at the efforts of Toyota, who started from a solid base (TTE in Cologne), spent a year testing and building up the team, then threw vast amounts of cash at it (which I realise is no guarantee of success, but it helps) - and still had a disastrous first season.
How can someone so naive manage to get financial backing for such an obviously doomed project?
Hughesie2 said:
At least they don't have to think about crash testing if the Arrows has already been done.
I would have thought that crash testing has moved on since 2002 ??
Non ??
When was the wheel tether rule introduced? If it was post 2002 then surely they'd have to modify the tub to attach the wires to?
Regards
Iain
This is just part of the game plan; give Max et al two options for the new team: use 2002 Arrows cars or modified 2005 BAR cars. The first option doesn't need any changes to the rules, but will be unacceptable due to the reasons already mentioned; the second requires a "clarification" of the rules, but is acceptable. Which do you think Max will choose? My money is on the rule clarification being made and them running year old BAR chassis, much like Sauber did with year old Ferrari chassis.
kevin ritson said:
Have the FIA clarified the rule about buying designs for year-old cars yet? Not long ago Max was all in favour of it to encourage new teams but then I suppose Ferrari will be objecting, despite them letting Sauber do exactly that a couple of years ago...
Of course, Ferrari are satan's spawn. Thanks for reminding us.
So, the Super Aguri dream was just that, a dream. Plonkers.
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/48465
Rob
www.grandprixdiary.com
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/48465
Rob
www.grandprixdiary.com
They have the greenlight now
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_o
Still cant really see it happening, but should be interesting.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_o
Still cant really see it happening, but should be interesting.
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