http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61529
Even Yamamotos millions cannot prevent a sale looking likely.
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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61529
Even Yamamotos millions cannot prevent a sale looking likely.
Can't say I'm surprised by this. Always had my doubts when they first announced they would buy out Midland
Sigh not again. :p :
Ownership of this F1 entity is fast becoming a revolving carousel. I miss the glory days of Jordan F1, especially when they were regularly mixing it up with the bigger teams.
Now the team is relegated to shady businessmen or car manufacturers, who end up selling the team every 2 to 3 years. :rolleyes:
This all boils down to the lack of TV money for the bottom teams. These guys are just as necessary for F1 as the top teams - somebody has to come last to prevent the big manufacturers like Honda from coming last and then pulling out of F1.
All the teams perform on the tracks in F1, and they should be paid accordingly. In fact, the bottom three teams need financial help to keep going to make the bottom half of the grid competitive. I see no reason why teams, apart from the winner of the WCC should not be paid equitably. We all want to see Spyker, Torro Rosso, and Super Aguri improve to the extent where, occasionally, they can beat the manufacturers - that's what will keep F1 more interesting.
But they need finance to do that. To expect them to pay up big time so they can take part in Bernie's circus is grossly unfair.
There!! I've had my rant!! Now I'm going to have my Lavazza Espresso.
Hear hear :up: If we look at the past list of World Champions and where they started:
Alonso -Minardi
Schumacher - Jordan
Hakkinen - Lotus
Villeneuve is perhaps an exception because he was already Champ Car Champion when he started at Williams
Hill tooled around in a Brabham
Prost was at McLaren but at that stage they were in developmental upheaval
and Senna was at Toleman
I think that that little list of World Drivers Champions should take you all the way back to about 1992 and all of then got their start at teams that were either in decline, in a major rebuild or never realy had a chance.
In fact only Hamilton and Villeneuve have debuted in a "top car" really in the past 20 years.
The point is that the so-called minnows not only provide extra seats and cars, but at a race weekend they also provide colour when compared to the closed doors and cold attitudes of the "big" teams.
At least year's Australian GP, Super Best Friends had a sushi van out the back, at Midland F1, Winklehock was signing things and speaking to people and at Toro Rosso with the arrival of Neel Jani? (sic) they had a chocolatier out the back (hmm, nice).
Maybe it's time that Bernie realised that in order have an F1 circus you need a wee bit more than just the horse tamers and the silver swallowers.
well, well, well... at the begining of the season they were all over RBR/ Torro Rosso & Super Aguri for not building their own chassis and were looking to make a legal case over it. Now, it looks like the 'for sale' sign is out after yet another 'major owner' has had enough of being the cabbose of the F1 train.
This concern has changed more hands over the last decade and a half than anyone else, and still they've yet to gain any modest headway in the points or finish outside of last in many races (Hungary notwithstanding).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve Bounce
well said
I like to see a US company or team to buy Spyker and have US drivers.
The more sensible variant i think, is to have a 3-cars top-teams, a total of 5, 6 or 7 (18, 21 cars total) and a low-class teams with 2 cars - a total of 2 or 3, or even 1.
Tell me, who cares which place the Torro-Rosso or Spyker or Super Aguri will occupy at the chequered flag? when it is known that they hardly can take even 1 point, or anyhow - they will always be at the rear. It's better to have a very competitive grid of at least 10 cars (3 or 4 teams), and the weaklings to participate just for exotics. :)
Oh dear :uhoh: First Jordan, then Midland, now this :dozey:
I think the Stock Market says otherwise .Quote:
Originally Posted by Placid
Quote:
Originally Posted by fan-veteran
For your information, Super Aguri has taken 4 points already, while the well funded Team Honda has only taken 1.
It is also interesting to see the likes of ant taking on drivers from Williams and Renault on the track.
Better go back to class after you do your homework. :p :
I would love to see a control chassis/aero package. Let the teams build their own engine suspension etc and get rid of the drivers aids. Then, we would have a WDC that would be more fair, and teams like this would have a fighting chance.
Oh dear indeed. That structure is never going to achieve anything if they change the ownership so often. :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve Bounce
Couldn't agree more.
...[wanders off to coffee machine]......
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve Bounce
Just put them up for sale on ebay....highest bidder gets them...(hope bernie does not see this, the next thing you know he will be selling slots for team on ebay along with dates and races for promoters to bid on....)
;) Why would anyone be interested in putting a team together here in the United States when...Quote:
Originally Posted by Placid
We don't even have a race to attend...
:dozey: Bernie's written off the U S Market...
unless the Big Teams ie. Mercedes, BMW,Toyota and Honda along with Red Bull,
force Formula 1 to return.
I believe this Spyker sale is actually something they're doing to streamline operations at the company by separating the car and the F1 divisions. Like the 'sale' of BAR to Honda I think there's only ever going to be one person who Spyker will want to sell to, and thats going to be someone who already has a major stake in the company.
Spyker might be in financial trouble but I don't think they're ridding themselves of the team just yet.
I hope another team from a lower category buys it and not a manufacturer already involved. we really don't need more B teams, enough with Super Duper, Toro Rosso and Prodrive
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dylan H
I hope you are right. Which means that the owner is basically selling a small part of the company for bragging rights and a chance to get pit passes and access to the teams hospitality "motorhome". However, I am looking at the Dow plummeting, and the chance of anyone in the US putting money into this money shredding machine looks extremely remote.
I have my own suspicions about the team selling off its F1 interrests: if the right money came along from Either the Middle East or Far East, then it will be adios Spyker F1 and Hello Wahid or Chan/Kim/Yamamoto F1 racing team.
Not without a USGP on the calendar. More likely Paul Stoddart would buy back into F1.Quote:
Originally Posted by Placid
(Just fantasizing, but which US company would buy a team and how would they brand it? I know - HUMMER! They could make the cars huge bulky beasts that nobody would dare run into. Of course they would have to pit for fuel every 2 or 3 laps!
How about US corn producers buying them and running them on ethanol for advertising? They could go back to Jordan yellow with little kernals of corn painted all along the bodies...)
I got news for you - our stock market here in Oz just plummeted over 5% today. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by wmcot
The chance of Paul Stoddart buying even a pair of second hand Arrows from Super Aguri seems remote right now. :(
Maybe Bernie will buy the team and rent the cars to drivers. You could have different local drivers at each race that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve Bounce
You are not alone :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve Bounce
This is a very interesting concept - Bernie could buy this year's Ferrari's and then rent them out next year. I know where there's a complete set of plans for them, and he could get Coughlan and Stepney to run Team Bernie :DQuote:
Originally Posted by wmcot
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61538Quote:
Spyker boss Colin Kolles has confirmed that his team's future participation in Formula One is not in doubt, despite the problems of their parent road car company. Kolles is adamant that the move will have no negative impact on the team. "Spyker F1 Team Ltd is completely confident that it has the necessary budget to race in the FIA Formula One World Championship this season," said Kolles in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61563Quote:
Former team owner Alex Shnaider is confident that the Spyker's team future in Formula One is safe, despite the outfit being up for sale.
"The day-to-day running of the team is up to them, but at the end of the day, there are certain obligations which must be met. Whether or not Spyker is in some turmoil, we expect the deal to be executed as agreed, and we will try to help them along if requested."
What is interesting is that there are (were) a lot of teams bidding to be in the 2008 F1 season. I wonder if one of them will offer to buy them out (if indeed they haven't done so already...) and if they would be affordable to someone who bid for that final spot on the grid??