Subaru's problems...Prodrive F1 related?

[JAM]

One could imagine he has his heart to WRC but no, most of all he is a businessman.

More than everything DR is a business man. It was obvious when he started the ISC... the passion is nothing when you don't have a huge sum of money behind it.

[Caroline]

There's no room for sentiment in business (so I've been told). DR is incredibly driven but who knows if too much is going on with Prodrive?

[Tomi]

david richards would want to have the biker boy in a rally car, is it because that the guy can drive a rally car, or is it because it would be good for his broacasting company? If you know the answer to that one, you know where his heart is when it comes to rally.

[A.F.F.]

I can't help but get the feeling David Richards wants to be Bernie Ecclestone but he can't. He is just not small enough.

[koko0703]

Is it time for Subaru to damp Prodrive and operate as its own team??? Citroen does that already, and I assume Suzuki will operate as its own team, too. If Prodrive continues to perform like this with their focus on Formula 1, Subaru should part with Prodrive.

[L5->R5/CR]

Is it time for Subaru to damp Prodrive and operate as its own team??? Citroen does that already, and I assume Suzuki will operate as its own team, too. If Prodrive continues to perform like this with their focus on Formula 1, Subaru should part with Prodrive.

I believe that Subaru just re-newed Prodrives services for multiple years.

[jparker]

In the wonderful world of IT, DR stands for "Disaster Recovery", so you never know.......

[JAM]

Is it time for Subaru to damp Prodrive and operate as its own team??? Citroen does that already, and I assume Suzuki will operate as its own team, too. If Prodrive continues to perform like this with their focus on Formula 1, Subaru should part with Prodrive.

To run is own team is a good solution IMO. Is less expensive and less complicated if the right person would be choosen to manage the team.

The situation is obvious, lets see: A team needs 25 milions to run a season. If a manufacturer creates is onw team, they spend 25 millions, if they contratct outsorcing then they will spend 30-35 millions. The company contracted is doing a business, then they need to have profit and the profit is the over pay that the manufacturer (or sponsors) have to assure.

Usuallly people refers Citroen as having a milionare budget (i dont't know their budget neither thos others budget), but all the budget is spent on the team and resources. If Citroen would invest this money on outsorcing, not all the money would go to the resources, and the resources would be less thanthey are.

Another thing important is the connection with the manufacturer, if they have their own team, they have better connection with the resources of the manufacturer, wich don't happen if the structure would be outside the manufacturer.

One things is obvious, the manufacturers have a lot of time a strange way of thinking, and that reflects on the decisions and results...

[Kaps]

Bigger companies have shown in the past that it's impossible to run both WRC and F1 at the same time.

There's no doubt at all that Prodrive will fail, if they'd be foolish enough to even try and pull that off.

[DonJippo]

Anyone thought about the possibility that Subaru Impreza as basis just is not good enough for today's WRC?