Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
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The FIA has opened up an F1 entry process inviting new teams to participate in the World Championship as early as 2016.
The move comes on the heels of the recent F1 Strategy Group meeting after which the governing body referred to the sustainability of the sport, which meant trying to ensure that there are enough teams around in the future.
Usually a “call for expression of interest” comes in response to the existence of a genuine candidate who has already been in contact, as was the case with Haas, when a process was opened on December 13th 2013. That also attracted the Romanian FRR/Forza Rossa project, which subsequently stalled.
This time the deadline for expressions of interest is June 30th, with full applications due by September 1st and a result by September 30th. That schedule is some seven months later than last time around.
dans79 wrote:perhaps this is Renault or Audi, who else but a large auto manufacture could get a team ready in such a short period of time.
I cannot remember for the life of me where I read it, but Renault had a meeting with Mercedes about joining as a full factory team as soon as next year, with the proviso that Bernie walks.
If you were to draw up a list of motorsport teams or car manufacturers who could get a car ready by March next year with an existing factory it'd be a pretty short list. Toyota could probably get a car on the grid by March and they have an awful lot of aero data from so many of the current grid using their wind tunnel too...
I think Lotus are in late stages of discussing a deal to buyout the Lotus Team.
Apparently ART from the GP2 grid are in pole position to make the 12th team for 2016.
dans79 wrote:perhaps this is Renault or Audi, who else but a large auto manufacture could get a team ready in such a short period of time.
I cannot remember for the life of me where I read it, but Renault had a meeting with Mercedes about joining as a full factory team as soon as next year, with the proviso that Bernie walks.
If you were to draw up a list of motorsport teams or car manufacturers who could get a car ready by March next year with an existing factory it'd be a pretty short list. Toyota could probably get a car on the grid by March and they have an awful lot of aero data from so many of the current grid using their wind tunnel too...
You're deluded if you think Toyota have access to their customers aero data!
I hear that ART are the closest to enter F1 from a technical stand point. They have expanded their factory over the past 2/3 years and it has all the CNC and R&D facilities to do so. However, their large composites would need outsourced to other manufacturers like EPM for instance. They could buy a lot of what they need from the Caterham administrators for trackside operations. Im sure they could be helped by McLaren with a McLaren designed car that is not what will be their 2015 or 2016 car as a base. With a Honda and McLaren rear end with VAN as a driver alongside a driver that has been in F1 before it could take off. However ART may need to sell off their GP2/GP3/DTM/FR2.0 areas to be able to compete in F1 properly.
Audi will come, but I'm looking longer term for that, more like 2018 once the team finance situation is evened out and made a little more fairer.
Renault are looking at many options, i think a brand new entry for them will be in 2017, new team, don't buy another. Build up over 2016 and start from the back, but do it properly, do it slowly, do it to the way Caterham did till 2012, until their 2013 car was a sh*tbox and Marussia started making headway until 2014 hit them financially. They may decide to come in with Colin Kolles for the short to medium term, with a car that may not be fast to start with, but a car that is reliable and good enough.
I hear that the Caterham 2015 cars IP/CFD data is trying to be sold by their administrators. This would be a good buy for someone, if the price was right, they could change enough from it, update it, and it would be of a decent standard i think. However, when you take the rumour that the Manor 2015/2016 car that will be seen for the end of the season will be a 2-3 second a lap quicker than they are at the moment, the Caterham IP would need updated a fair bit.
We have still to see what Haas comes into F1 with.
Forget Toyota or BMW. They won't return until they know they can challenge on a equal footing to Mercedes/Ferrari right now, and that includes as a engine manufacturer.
I know, the owner of the Team-Lotus Trademark and Copyright, Tony Fernandes is trying to offload them for a 8 figure sum, if Lotus managed to get it from him for even €10m at the lowest, it would be good business. However it may not be great as the good old curse would come with it. As Team Lotus stands for Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious. It may try to dispel the purists/theorists, but like them, its not going to be a proper Team Lotus as Lotus at the moment is a descendant of Renault/Benneton/Toleman in my eyes and won't be a proper Team Lotus.
Personally, i can see 2016 being like this:
Mercedes AMG
Scuderia-Ferrari
Williams-Mercedes
Red Bull-Renault
Toro Rosso-Renault
Lotus-Mercedes
Force India-Mercedes
Mclaren-Honda
Sauber-Ferrari
Manor-Ferrari
Hass-Ferrari
ART-Honda
ByKolles-Renault
Im thinking 13 teams, 26 on the grid. Makes Monaco Q1 interesting, unless they split it down the middle and have it as GP2 and have the black T-Cams go first in a 9 Min session and the Yellow ones go second in another 9 Min session. How would i decide goes first, what ever T Cam colour is fastest in FP3.
However, you do need €80m to burn to start in F1, and the same and probably more to progress every season in order to next to stand-still at the back of the grid, you will probably need about €120m in order to get to a Force India/Lotus P6 to P8 in the constructors table every year.
With ART having Jean Todt's son in the team and the possibility to be a McLaren B team, I would say it's a given that we'll see them on the grid next year.
ESPImperium wrote:
Personally, i can see 2016 being like this:
Mercedes AMG
Scuderia-Ferrari
Williams-Mercedes
Red Bull-Renault
Toro Rosso-Renault
Lotus-Mercedes
Force India-Mercedes
Mclaren-Honda
Sauber-Ferrari
Manor-Ferrari
Hass-Ferrari
ART-Honda
ByKolles-Renault
Im thinking 13 teams, 26 on the grid. Makes Monaco Q1 interesting, unless they split it down the middle and have it as GP2 and have the black T-Cams go first in a 9 Min session and the Yellow ones go second in another 9 Min session. How would i decide goes first, what ever T Cam colour is fastest in FP3.
However, you do need €80m to burn to start in F1, and the same and probably more to progress every season in order to next to stand-still at the back of the grid, you will probably need about €120m in order to get to a Force India/Lotus P6 to P8 in the constructors table every year.
I hope you are right. F1 needs at least one more team because the are too few right now. And as you have said Monaco could be really interesting and chaotic at the same time.
I don't think so, because once the track is rubbered in, track conditions can become better. So the 2nd half of the drivers that go out, could be benefited by that and set quicker times. What if it starts raining halfway the session? First part of the drivers set a time in the dry while second part of the drivers won't even stand a chance to go faster.
WaikeCU wrote:I don't think so, because once the track is rubbered in, track conditions can become better. So the 2nd half of the drivers that go out, could be benefited by that and set quicker times. What if it starts raining halfway the session? First part of the drivers set a time in the dry while second part of the drivers won't even stand a chance to go faster.
Do it how GP2 do it - first place goes the fastest time, and all qualifiers from that session line up 1-3-5-7-9, whilst 2nd fastest group goes 2-4-6-8-10 etc.
