11th F1 Team - Who is it?

[magracer]

You are right! Wasn´t aware of that...

[GT2addic]

Red Bull must be happy about their performance this year, they've got more points than last year

??? Red Bull was in Formula 1 last year???

[Jack_Bauer]

My money's on a McLaren "B-team" being launched in the next couple of years. A rumour I heard was that they were trying to link up with a major-league Japanese sponsor (poss. Sony/JVC???), and that is why Takuma Sato has been strongly linked with a drive in the proposed new team as he would be a marketing goldmine for the sponsors.

All just speculation of course.

[2ndclasscitizen]

My money's on a McLaren "B-team" being launched in the next couple of years. A rumour I heard was that they were trying to link up with a major-league Japanese sponsor (poss. Sony/JVC???), and that is why Takuma Sato has been strongly linked with a drive in the proposed new team as he would be a marketing goldmine for the sponsors.

All just speculation of course.

but are McLaren changing back to Honda? Because why would one McLaren team run MB engines and the other Hondas?

[magracer]

Autosport reports the 11th Team are getting the BAR-Honda (now Honda) 2006 chassis in addition to their engines. Hmm, now it sounds a lot as a Junior Team, but why is Nick Fry talking about "people" that know what they are doing, have enough funding, etc.

My conclusion is that it has to be someone really close to their hearts (and their wallets). I'm thinking of something like ProDrive and Subaru have for WRC. Anyone from Japan can tell us if a third party runs cars for HOnda for JGTC or other events?

Edit: Nevermind, it's Auguri Suzuki's "Dome" (Maker of GT3's NSX Takata Dome), who coincidentially was named in one of the sources I read.

[magracer]

Source: Autosport

Former Grand Prix driver Aguri Suzuki is set to confirm his plans tomorrow to enter a Honda-backed team in Formula One, although it is not clear whether he still intends to make the jump next year or wait until 2007

I hate to say "I told you so" but, I told you so...

[Zytek_Fan]

Ecclestone has $150 million ready for an F1 team

[magracer]

Meaning he is going to start his own F1 team?

If that is not conflict of interest, I don´t know what it is.

[Vaigra]

Former driver launches new F1 team


Ex-Formula One driver Aguri Suzuki has revealed his plans to launch a new team next season, with help from Honda.
The Japanese manufacturer, who already own BAR, last month revealed they were in talks to back a second team.

Suzuki's Super Aguri outfit have now been confirmed as the new team and have lodged an entry into the 2006 world championship with world governing body the FIA.

"We have cleared all the hurdles we had to clear up to this point," Suzuki told reporters.

"Obviously there is a huge amount of work left but we plan to be on the grid in 2006."

Honda will supply Suzuki's team with engines but how they source a chassis is still undecided.

Suzuki had looked at the option of buying the intellectual property rights to last season's BAR chassis or buying a 2007 model from Honda. However, the sport's ruling Concorde Agreement currently forbids this.

Suzuki did confirm he wants Takuma Sato as his main driver, although he would not reveal whether Anthony Davidson is in line to partner the ex-BAR driver.

"We are at a nice stage in talks with Takuma," said Suzuki.

"I'd like to see him racing with a good team and he'll want that too. Our goal is to build a team he will want to drive for."

The new team will be based in Tokyo but will operate out of the former Arrows headquarters in Leafield in Oxfordshire.

Suzuki already has teams competing in the Indy Racing League and Japan's Super GT series but he will become the first all-new Formula One team since Toyota in 2002 if his plans succeed.