Prodrive F1
Encyclopedia
Prodrive F1 Team is the name of a proposed Formula One
team to be run by Prodrive
. The team was selected by the FIA in 2006 to be the 12th entry into the 2008 Formula One world championship
. In November 2007, a legal challenge to the team's proposed use of customer cars led to Prodrive pulling out of the 2008 season.
In 2009, Prodrive boss David Richards
announced that either Prodrive or Aston Martin Racing
may appear in F1 from 2010 should the budget caps planned be acceptable. Prodrive Ltd. is based in Banbury
, England
, but has unveiled plans to relocate to a new 200 acres (81 ha) motorsport facility called "The Fulcrum" (based at the former RAF Honiley
airfield) near Wroxall, Warwickshire
.
. While a total of 22 teams applied for entry, the FIA had always maintained that, for reasons of both safety and practicality, only 12 teams would be granted entry, meaning only one new team would line up on the grid in 2008.
FIA president Max Mosley
was impressed by Prodrive's bid, which beat off stiff competition from Carlin Motorsport
, the Jean Alesi
-led and McLaren-supported Direxiv
outfit, BAR
co-founder Craig Pollock
, former Minardi
owner Paul Stoddart
and ex-Jordan Grand Prix
team principal, Eddie Jordan
.
Mosley revealed that Prodrive had found the finances to support their bid, adding: "Prodrive have the best combination of financial backing, technical capability and motor sport experience and are well known to the FIA through their participation in the World Rally Championship. Also, Prodrive's chief executive, David Richards, has experience as a Formula One team principal". Richards has previously acted as team principal of the Benetton
and British American Racing
teams.
According to some reports, Prodrive F1 was to use Mercedes engines
and the same cars as McLaren. During the 2007 season, McLaren boss Ron Dennis
denied that the partnership had been finalised. Discussions with other potential suppliers of cars, including Renault
, were also carried out. On April 25 2007, it was announced that Prodrive had attracted a title sponsor for 2008. The same article also referenced Gary Paffett
for a race drive citing his "one year" contract in DTM
and with McLaren as a test driver. There were also rumours linking DTM driver Bruno Spengler
, ex-F1 driver and McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa
and ex-McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz
to the team. By October 2007, it was believed that the team had an agreement in place to use McLaren-Mercedes
cars, at a cost of around $100M.
Although David Richards also led the consortium which owns Aston Martin
, he ruled out the Aston Martin
brand entering F1.
Although the FIA had announced in 2006 that customer cars would be permitted from the 2008 season, the 2007 season saw complaints against two teams, Scuderia Toro Rosso
and Super Aguri F1
, believed by other teams to already be using customer cars. The use of customer cars (cars built by a constructor entered in the F1 championship and sold to another entrant) is forbidden by the Concorde Agreement
. The Concorde Agreement is the contract between the FIA, the Formula One
teams and Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money. The current Agreement expires at the end of 2007. A new document has not been agreed as of November 2007; the likely outcome is that the status quo will continue into 2008. On this basis, in October 2007 the Williams
team challenged Prodrive's proposed use of customer cars for its entry to the 2008 championship in the FIA's International Court of Appeal.
Following lengthy negotiations between FIA president Max Mosley
and Prodrive team principal David Richards, including a request that the team be allowed to enter from mid-season, Richards announced on 23 November 2007 that Prodrive F1 would not compete in the 2008 Formula One World Championship
, as the legal situation left no time for the team to be set up for the start of the season. "It is still our ambition to compete in Formula One," Prodrive said in a statement. "We are hopeful that a new Concorde Agreement between the FIA, FOA (Formula One Administration) and teams will provide clarity as to the terms on which this might be possible. When this new agreement is reached, we will be in a position to consider the extent to which we can adapt our plans for participation in the future."
In an interview Richards said that he would have wanted Pedro de la Rosa
and Lucas di Grassi
as his drivers for the 2008 season.
and the rest of the team's management bought out the team, becoming Brawn GP
.
. If successful, it would have allowed the Aston Martin
name to return to Formula One.
On June 12, 2009 it was announced by the FIA that Prodrive had not been accepted into the 2010 F1 Championship.Prodrive stated in a press release that they were 'disappointed'.
. Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights holder for Formula One, revealed on 7 December 2009 that David Richards' Prodrive was one of four potential bidders. Reports suggested that Prodrive's proposal would have seen Renault withdraw from the sport as a manufacturer, but remain in place as an engine supplier.
On December 16 2009, Renault announced that it had sold a 75% stake in the team to the Luxembourg-based investment group Genii Capital.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team to be run by Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
. The team was selected by the FIA in 2006 to be the 12th entry into the 2008 Formula One world championship
2008 Formula One season
The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
. In November 2007, a legal challenge to the team's proposed use of customer cars led to Prodrive pulling out of the 2008 season.
In 2009, Prodrive boss David Richards
David Richards (racing)
David Pender Richards CBE is the chairman of Prodrive and Aston Martin, and a former team principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One motor racing teams. He lives with his wife, Karen, in Warwickshire and has three children....
announced that either Prodrive or Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified...
may appear in F1 from 2010 should the budget caps planned be acceptable. Prodrive Ltd. is based in Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but has unveiled plans to relocate to a new 200 acres (81 ha) motorsport facility called "The Fulcrum" (based at the former RAF Honiley
RAF Honiley
RAF Honiley is a former Royal Air Force station located in Wroxall, Warwickshire seven miles southwest of Coventry, England. The station closed in March 1958, and after being used as a motor vehicle test track, is presently subject to planning permission from the Prodrive Formula One team for...
airfield) near Wroxall, Warwickshire
Wroxall, Warwickshire
Wroxall is a small village in the civil parish of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is from Kenilworth, and from Coventry on the A4141 road. According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 94. It has its own cemetery to the north of the...
.
Entry into F1
On 28 April 2006, rallying and motorsports technology firm Prodrive were officially granted entry to Formula One when the FIA announced the list of entrants to the 2008 Formula One World Championship2008 Formula One season
The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
. While a total of 22 teams applied for entry, the FIA had always maintained that, for reasons of both safety and practicality, only 12 teams would be granted entry, meaning only one new team would line up on the grid in 2008.
FIA president Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
was impressed by Prodrive's bid, which beat off stiff competition from Carlin Motorsport
Carlin Motorsport
Carlin, formerly Carlin Motorsport, is a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It competes in four championships — British Formula Three Championship, GP3 Series, World Series by Renault and GP2 Series.-History:...
, the Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
-led and McLaren-supported Direxiv
Direxiv
Direxiv was a company with motorsport links to the GP2 Series, a series which is closely linked to Formula One and future drivers in F1 are likely to have raced in GP2. Direxiv had submitted an entry to run a Formula 1 team in 2008 onwards, although they faced tough competition from other companies...
outfit, BAR
British American Racing
British American Racing was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year...
co-founder Craig Pollock
Craig Pollock
Craig Pollock , is a businessman who was the manager of the Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve throughout his top-level career, and team principal of the British American Racing team from to...
, former Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...
owner Paul Stoddart
Paul Stoddart
Paul Stoddart, born 26 May 1955, is an Australian millionaire airline magnate, and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team. He later took the Minardi brand into the Champ Car World Series after his purchase of a portion of CTE-HVM Racing which he renamed Minardi Team USA for 2007.-Early...
and ex-Jordan Grand Prix
Jordan Grand Prix
Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...
team principal, Eddie Jordan
Eddie Jordan
Edmund "Eddie" Jordan also known as "EJ" founded and owned Jordan Grand Prix, a Formula One constructor which operated from 1991 to 2005...
.
Mosley revealed that Prodrive had found the finances to support their bid, adding: "Prodrive have the best combination of financial backing, technical capability and motor sport experience and are well known to the FIA through their participation in the World Rally Championship. Also, Prodrive's chief executive, David Richards, has experience as a Formula One team principal". Richards has previously acted as team principal of the Benetton
Benetton Formula
Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for...
and British American Racing
British American Racing
British American Racing was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year...
teams.
According to some reports, Prodrive F1 was to use Mercedes engines
Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines
Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines Ltd. is a British Formula One engine manufacturer, owned by Mercedes-Benz. Since 1995, their engines have powered McLaren's Formula One cars. For the 2009 season, Mercedes-Benz also supplied the Brawn GP and Force India teams with engines...
and the same cars as McLaren. During the 2007 season, McLaren boss Ron Dennis
Ron Dennis
Ronald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...
denied that the partnership had been finalised. Discussions with other potential suppliers of cars, including Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
, were also carried out. On April 25 2007, it was announced that Prodrive had attracted a title sponsor for 2008. The same article also referenced Gary Paffett
Gary Paffett
Gary Paffett is a British racing driver in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. He is also a test driver for the McLaren Formula One team. Paffett progressed through the ranks of karting and junior formulae in the United Kingdom, winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 1999...
for a race drive citing his "one year" contract in DTM
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
and with McLaren as a test driver. There were also rumours linking DTM driver Bruno Spengler
Bruno Spengler
Bruno Spengler is a French-born Canadian racing driver, nicknamed 'The Secret Canadian'.-Early Career:...
, ex-F1 driver and McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver who has participated in 87 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber teams, debuting on 7 March 1999, becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race...
and ex-McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz
Alexander Wurz
Alexander Wurz is an Austrian racing driver. He competed in Formula One from until , and is also a two-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours....
to the team. By October 2007, it was believed that the team had an agreement in place to use McLaren-Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz in motorsport
Throughout its long history, Mercedes-Benz has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sportscar racing and rallying, and is currently active in Formula Three, DTM and Formula One.-Early history:...
cars, at a cost of around $100M.
Although David Richards also led the consortium which owns Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, he ruled out the Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
brand entering F1.
Although the FIA had announced in 2006 that customer cars would be permitted from the 2008 season, the 2007 season saw complaints against two teams, Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso , also known simply as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, is an Italian Formula One racing team...
and Super Aguri F1
Super Aguri F1
Super Aguri F1 was a Formula One team that competed from to . The team, founded by former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki, was based in Tokyo, Japan but operated from the former Arrows factory at the Leafield Technical Centre, Oxfordshire. The cars were referred to as Super Aguri Hondas, with the team...
, believed by other teams to already be using customer cars. The use of customer cars (cars built by a constructor entered in the F1 championship and sold to another entrant) is forbidden by the Concorde Agreement
Concorde Agreement
The Concorde Agreement is a contract between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , the Formula One teams and the Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money...
. The Concorde Agreement is the contract between the FIA, the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
teams and Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money. The current Agreement expires at the end of 2007. A new document has not been agreed as of November 2007; the likely outcome is that the status quo will continue into 2008. On this basis, in October 2007 the Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
team challenged Prodrive's proposed use of customer cars for its entry to the 2008 championship in the FIA's International Court of Appeal.
Following lengthy negotiations between FIA president Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
and Prodrive team principal David Richards, including a request that the team be allowed to enter from mid-season, Richards announced on 23 November 2007 that Prodrive F1 would not compete in the 2008 Formula One World Championship
2008 Formula One season
The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
, as the legal situation left no time for the team to be set up for the start of the season. "It is still our ambition to compete in Formula One," Prodrive said in a statement. "We are hopeful that a new Concorde Agreement between the FIA, FOA (Formula One Administration) and teams will provide clarity as to the terms on which this might be possible. When this new agreement is reached, we will be in a position to consider the extent to which we can adapt our plans for participation in the future."
In an interview Richards said that he would have wanted Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver who has participated in 87 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber teams, debuting on 7 March 1999, becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race...
and Lucas di Grassi
Lucas di Grassi
Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who drove for Virgin Racing in the 2010 Formula One season...
as his drivers for the 2008 season.
Second attempt
Prodrive boss David Richards was linked to buying out the abandoned Honda team and using it as an output for Prodrive. The attempt was a failure, and Ross BrawnRoss Brawn
Ross James Brawn OBE is an English motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal. He has worked for a number of Formula One teams, serving as the technical director of the championship-winning Benetton and Ferrari teams. He took a sabbatical from the sport in 2007 but returned to F1 for the...
and the rest of the team's management bought out the team, becoming Brawn GP
Brawn GP
Brawn GP Formula One Team, the trading name of Brawn GP Limited, was a Formula One motor racing team and constructor, created by a management buyout of Honda Racing F1 Team. It only competed in the 2009 Formula One World Championship, with drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The team...
.
Third attempt
Prodrive boss David Richards lodged an entry for the 2010 Formula One season2010 Formula One season
The 2010 Formula One season was the 61st Formula One season of World Championship motor racing competition. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a one-two finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race...
. If successful, it would have allowed the Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
name to return to Formula One.
On June 12, 2009 it was announced by the FIA that Prodrive had not been accepted into the 2010 F1 Championship.Prodrive stated in a press release that they were 'disappointed'.
Fourth attempt
In early December 2009, there were reports in the media suggesting that Renault were looking to sell their team ahead of the 2010 Formula One Season2010 Formula One season
The 2010 Formula One season was the 61st Formula One season of World Championship motor racing competition. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a one-two finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race...
. Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights holder for Formula One, revealed on 7 December 2009 that David Richards' Prodrive was one of four potential bidders. Reports suggested that Prodrive's proposal would have seen Renault withdraw from the sport as a manufacturer, but remain in place as an engine supplier.
On December 16 2009, Renault announced that it had sold a 75% stake in the team to the Luxembourg-based investment group Genii Capital.