Prodrive and Williams

[Sawtooth-spike]

Anybody else Read that Williams are Questioning the legitimasy of Prodrives entry into F1?

Seems like Frank is still miffed with with the who buttongate issue a few years ago.
http://www.f1technical.net/news/7316

[checkered]

Anybody else Read that Williams are Questioning the legitimasy of Prodrives entry into F1?

Seems like Frank is still miffed with with the who buttongate issue a few years ago.
http://www.f1technical.net/news/7316

I'd like to

believe that the customer chassis issue is mainly influenced by principles of competition and financial considerations. Other teams are also involved in this, in different ways. An interesting subject, but I'd need much more time to really get into it now. I believe it'd be better that everyone manufactured their own chassis, even if the current system is far from perfect. Future advances beyond F1's realm may well even the field by default in the future, so allowing customer chassis may be an unnecessary knee jerk reaction at this point.

[Sawtooth-spike]

i was under the impression that that was the rules for 2008, you can have a customer chassis? If they wanted to fight those rules why did they not do it till now. its not like its new?

We i do agree that Each teams should in effect build there own, back in the day... Teams bought chassis. I think You should be able to buy chassis just not directly from other teams. Eg. if say Pensky or Lola made a 2006 ferrari chassis then anybody could buy them. I know thats no likely but you get the idea.

[axle]

They have been fighting it...but quietly and not through the media, as is Williams' way.

The issue is "CONSTRUCTORS" points and the revenues that go with them.

Do you think it fair that some bunch of upstarts just buy the best chassis going and race that and take all the prize money???

I don't agree with it at all as Spyker, Williams etc are bound to lose out unless every "constructor" team can race 4 cars <-which is obviously stupid.

So...lets think of fair rules...

Customers have to use old chassis'?
Customers can't have constructors points?
Customers can't have revenue that is for constructors?
Customers can only buy a chassis and it's BP's in year 1, from then on they have to develop their own and become full constructors?

I don't know what the answer is, customer cars has really muddied the waters and STR/SA are already taking the p1ss.

[ss_collins]

No customer team can run in F1 - thats a fact and is enforced in the concorde agreement - if a new agreement came into force the situation would change but right now the new agreement - well, hasn't been agreed!

[mx_tifoso]

As I was understanding this issue, the 2008 season will allow customer teams to compete. Such as Prodrive purchasing a chassis from a "manufacturer" and competing with it on their own terms. As well as Honda now "legitimately" supplying Super Aguri with chassis as well for next season. RBR is even supplying STR with chassis for next season, even if they aren't sure they can build enough on time for both teams.

I have two contradicting viewpoints on this issue, one of them is disagreeing with the "customer chassis" idea because they wouldn't be "real" manufacturers therefore they shouldn't be allowed to score manufacturer/constructor points, and get any revenues meant for constructors.

And the other contradicting viewpoint is that they should be allowed, but only for a season or two, given that after that period of time they should build their own chassis to compete with. Besides, this has been done many times before in the history of GP racing, such is the case as to how the Scuderia Ferrari got its start to fame and glory, by racing customer Alfa's.

I'm pretty much on the fence with this issue, something that doesnt happen too often. Hopefully we can all have a clearer understanding sooner or later. If it makes for "better" racing, whatever that may be, then it is a good idea.

Racing+Business=FormulaOne

May '08 be a much better season

[CMSMJ1]

I would suggest that there is an alternative championship ran for the customer teams if they did get the nod. Much like the Jim Clark cup for the N/A cars in the turbo era.

Prodrive, or whoever, should not be allowed to purchase the leading teams chassis and then take away constructors points form a "valid" constructor.

thinking on..howsabout a teams championship?
You could also let the constructors accrue points for the top two chassis home regardless of the team that was using it?

[CMSMJ1]

I would suggest that there is an alternative championship ran for the customer teams if they did get the nod. Much like the Jim Clark cup for the N/A cars in the turbo era.

Prodrive, or whoever, should not be allowed to purchase the leading teams chassis and then take away constructors points form a "valid" constructor.

thinking on..howsabout a teams championship?
You could also let the constructors accrue points for the top two chassis home regardless of the team that was using it?

[naknak_56]

Im against prodrive and any other B team , it leaves too much scope for "Team Play" ,as in Massa is behind and suddenly the pace drops by a second a lap ( not say just Mclaren would do this as im sure Ferrari would too )
There is no incentive to build your own car when you can by the quickest car off the shelf. One of the things i love the most about F1 is the technology and we are looking like becoming Champ Car , whilst i have nothing against the series ( watch most of the races ) we dont need another.

[HKS]

Guys is Prodrive the only B team in F1?

Don't we all remember Toro Rosso and Super Aguri?

And I wanted ask whether anyone knows that Prodrive would be using Mclaren Mp4-22 chassis or Mp4-23?

[axle]

According to reports the McLaren deal is dead until Prodrive's legitimacy has been agreed.

If they fail then, SA and STR will be under the microscope too.