F1 - Richards Planning Prodrive F1 Team

[Matra et Alpine]

I'm betting Honda are right now going "oh shit" if he does get back !!!!

from itv-f1.com

RICHARDS PLANNING PRODRIVE F1 TEAM
Last Updated: Sunday, 18, December, 2005, 14:19
Former BAR-Honda and Benetton team boss David Richards says he is considering a return to Formula 1 with his own team in 2008, but only if the sport becomes cost effective for small outfits once more.
Richards, whose Prodrive preparation company is planning an F1 facility in Warwickshire according to F1 Racing magazine, admitted his plans depend on the sport adopting Max Mosley's cost-slashing proposals for 2008.
"If the changes that Max [Mosley] is trying to bring forward in the next couple of years come to fruition, I firmly believe there will be room for small organisations to operate within F1," DR said in the January edition of the magazine, which goes on sale Tuesday, December 20.
"A small, nimble outfit can actually tip the balance in F1 and bring it back to where it rightfully belongs –where the fans are."
Richards was forced to watch from the sidelines this year after he was ousted from his post at BAR when Honda bought 45% percent of the team in the winter of 2004.
And he warned that manufacturers must not be allowed to take over Formula 1.
"The Toyotas won't be around for ever, though," he added.
"The car makers – for eminently valid reasons – use motorsport as long as its useful to them. Then they discard it. And the independent teams will be left to pick up the pieces.
"If Max isn't allowed to succeed in his crusade, then more fool F1."

[Dino Scuderia]

Good news!

[Vindesh17]

good, we need more teams in F1.

[johnnyperl]

Originally Posted by Richards

And he warned that manufacturers must not be allowed to take over Formula 1.
"The Toyotas won't be around for ever, though," he added.
"The car makers – for eminently valid reasons – use motorsport as long as its useful to them. Then they discard it. And the independent teams will be left to pick up the pieces."

then what the hell is the point of F1?
IMO there shouldnt be any non-works teams. motorsport is not a "sport", especially F1. Its an Engineering excercise and challenge. whats the point for the smaller teams? In terms of entertainment, theres far better racing out there.

sure there have been several manufacturers in and out, but the same is true for the "independant" teams.

[Zytek_Fan]

Toyota is the manufacturer who didn't want Super Aguri

[h00t_h00t]

I think there should be more teams backed by manufacturers, they have the money to make changes to the cars when needed whereas smaller teams can't afford to and so hold up rule changes (Restricted V10s etc.)

[Matra et Alpine]

Smaller teams have introduced most of the innovatison into F1 !!

If it's left to large manufacturers then NOTE THE POINT Richards makes ...

Once they get enough publicity they will dump the formula - look at Peugeot and Citrone in WRC. Or Audi before that who switched to racing and may at some tiem swithc again.

hoot-hoot, it was NOT teh smaller teams who wanted restricted V10s. It was an agreemetn amongst all as NOBODY was certain they coudl put a V8 on the table guaranteed to perform. There aren't ANY motorsport formulas where there aren't trasnsitionary rules allowing differnet formats to run. Worth lookign wider afield to see how they can benefit all.

jp, the "Point" of F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of open-wheeled motorSPORT. NOT big business So if they did things which blocked the entrants of small teams then jsut iimagine how boring F1 woudl have been without the likes fo Minardi, Jordan, Stewart, RedBull, Prost, Arrows, etc ( note, remember to look at the PINNACLE of each of those teams and not jsut there troughs )

[Zytek_Fan]

Couldn't Red Bull be considered a large team because of their budget?

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

Couldn't Red Bull be considered a large team because of their budget?

large, yes, "manufacturer" no.
BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda, Toyota are the only complete manufacturers now.
Williams, McLaren, RBR are big budget teams (maybe!) but are not complete "manufacturers" as they are buying in their engines

[johnnyperl]

Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

jp, the "Point" of F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of open-wheeled motorSPORT. NOT big business

i dont think it should just be about buisness either.

But, IMO the higher levels of racing are about showing off a company's overall skill and performance. but whats the point if all this yeilds is higher prices for advertising with the team? at least with a works team one would hope that some small part of that $500,000,000/year of research and developement for Toyota's F1 team trickles down into the Corola.
I think an F1 car is an incredible machine but i find the "sport" to be a big waste of time and money.

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by johnnyperl

at least with a works team one would hope that some small part of that $500,000,000/year of research and developement for Toyota's F1 team trickles down into the Corola.

In the past that happened too.
So teams' design groups would undertake research and development. It's what kept companies liek Matra and Lotus alive !! Mallock, M-Sport, ProDrive and many others continue the tradition.
Good design and usable knowledge isnt' just limited to big companies and huge business structures - coz if it was all us "independant consultants" would have very poor lives

I think an F1 car is an incredible machine but i find the "sport" to be a big waste of time and money.

ALL "sport" is a waste of money when you remove the desire to achieve the best and entertainment from the equation. The likes of BMW could develop "ultimate" engines on test tracks away from pryign eyes and HUGE costs. Personal drive and motivation can mirror competition. Single-make racing is still used to create a focussd environment for a single-make to improve the breed through competition. THEY are the "pinnacle" of that form of sport but lack the innovation that many teams can bring in a true "sport".