Prodrive to pay McLaren $100 million

[Steven Roy]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19715.html

According to the above link Prodrive will pay McLaren $100million for chassis, engines etc next season.  Wonder how the FIA came up with the amount for the fine?

Of course conspiracy theorists with an anti-Ferrari bias could conclude that the FIA have stopped McLaren gaining an advantage over Ferrari by shutting down a new income stream until Ferrari gets its customer in place for the following season.  But that would be silly.

[romephius]

But McLaren weren't required to pay the FULL $100 million, so they will still get a cash injection anyways....

Rom

[Andy B]

Half the $100 mill is in lost revenue from points scored so its still a $100 mill they wont have.

[Alianora La Canta]

Do Prodrive have to pay McLaren if customer cars are forbidden from 2008, as grandprix.com suggests will be the case? If not, that would put McLaren back on square one - i.e. with about $30m of money to find to pay off the fine.

[Steven Roy]

I can't imagine David Richards would sign a contract that would commit him to pay that amount of money for nothing.  There will be force majeur clauses in the contract which will cover that.  However there will be no situation where McLaren walks away with nothing.  Prodrive will be committed to or probably will already have paid a sum to give them exclusivity as a McLaren customer and to cover the costs McLaren have so far incurred.

Besides the FIA are going to look more stupid than usual if they have awarded a franchise on an illegal basis.  Prodrive will sue them to recover what they have given McLaren and all the other costs and losses they have incurred.  That may be a very convenient $100million.

[cosworth151]

The Grandprix.com piece left me with two questions. First, does the $100 million to McLaren include engines, or will Prodrive have to cut a seperate deal with M-B? Second, will the car be a 2008 spec, a 2007 spec, or something in between?

As far as the legality of using a car from another team, I'm sure they can do a little dance like Red Bull and Toro Rosso did this year.

How do the rest of you feel about "customer cars?" I think it's a very bad idea that will quickly lead to 6 "A" teams and 6 "B" teams. It also puts too much dependence on the manufacturers, who will come and go at will. Look at what happened with Ford after 40 years.

[johnbull]

The idea of allowing "non constructors" in, as I see it, was that there would be less reliance on the manufacturers and therefore the FIA could still dictate. "If you don't like it get out, there are plenty of other little teams waiting to replace you who will do what we ask, without arguing".

However it seems to be backfiring badly for if as we all assume, we end up with 6 constructors (manufacturers) and 6 B teams, the FIA could be worse off, because it will only have 2 yes men - Ferrari and their B team..

[Steven Roy]

If you look at when F1 had the best wheel to wheel racing it was when anyone could buy a Cosworth engine, a Hewland gearbox and build their own chassis.  Or alternatively buy a Lotus, March, Brabham etc.

The one thing that will happen is that it will take away cars that are just plain slow.  It will take away a lot of people's excuses for not performing.  For chess fans it will make strategy more interesting because there is bound to be less field spread and therefore more difficulty in finding gaps to put a driver in after a pit stop.

Ross Brawn is coming back at exactly the right time for him if strategy is so important.  Hang on does that mean the FIA have brought in a rule that Ferrari will benefit from?  Oh what a surprise.

[raindancer]

Almost all the big car manufacturers are already in F1 either directly or have significant stakes.
Mercedes
BMW
Renault
Honda
Toyota
Ferrari.
Its the American manufacturers who are not represented well. GM, Chrysler and Ford.
But the other European car manufacturers are niche players and do not depend on Global volumes for sustained profitability. Companies like SAAB, Volvo, Audi are a case in point. Between the top six they represent over 60% of the cars manufactured worldwide.
Although Cosworth is owned by ford.
As you have to buy engines from the manufacturer, it will place a limit on the development budget of these teams and lets face it, most teams aren't in F1 wanting to win.

[Monty]

Almost all the big car manufacturers are already in F1 either directly or have significant stakes.
Mercedes
BMW
Renault
Honda
Toyota
Ferrari.
Its the American manufacturers who are not represented well. GM, Chrysler and Ford.
But the other European car manufacturers are niche players and do not depend on Global volumes for sustained profitability. Companies like SAAB, Volvo, Audi are a case in point. Between the top six they represent over 60% of the cars manufactured worldwide.
Although Cosworth is owned by ford.
As you have to buy engines from the manufacturer, it will place a limit on the development budget of these teams and lets face it, most teams aren't in F1 wanting to win.

Someone smarter than me will come up with the correct facts but Mercedes owned Chysler until last month, Ford own Volvo but they do not own Cosworth anymore, Saab is owned by GM, Audi is Volkswagen and closely linked with Porsche, etc., etc.
The big manufacturers are all in motor racing somewhere but many feel it is more important that the racing cars have close links with the road cars (Ford in WRC, Ford / Aston Martin in GT, Porsche in GT, GM Vauxhall/Opel in Touring cars, etc.).
Personally I prefered F1 when it was specialist chassis builders droping in a customer engine. There was less money available and it almost became a one engine Formula (Cosworth) until Renault came along with the Turbo era. Now I am too old and too poor to actually drive all I want is a really good spectator sport. I want to see cars of similar performance offering close racing, lots of overtaking and the best driver on the day winning because of shear talent.
Hopefully more quality teams (enter Pro-drive) will help bring this to F1 but big business, stupid ploitics and a biased or corupt governing body look set to spoil the sport even further.

[romephius]

Monty, the racing you are looking for already exists...A1 GP...... I find it terribly boring....i like the wild variances of the cars and teams in F1, because apart from the big 2 you never really know where the others are at... and the mid-field is getting into some really good battles now.....the only obstacle to you seeing the battles and passing is the directors of the telecast.

As always this is just my opinion

Rom

[cosworth151]

I agree with Rom in that one of the most interesting aspects of F1 has always been the diversity of equipment. Even in the heyday of the Cosworth DFV V8, there were still V12 Ferraris, V10 Matras, even V16 BRMs. One could tell what was coming down the track just by the sound!

Sadly, most racing, epecially open wheel, have become "spec racer" series. Some, like A1 and Champ Car, have done it by design. Others, like IndyCar, have just fallen into it. Even NASCAR is going to a standardized "Car of Tomorrow." (If you can call something with a 4 bbl carb, solid rear axle and pushrods a Car of Tomorrow)

The danger I see with the current trend in F1 is that, no matter what they say, racing will always be just a sideshow to the mass market car companies. All it takes is one change in the boardroom and they're out the door. For the constructors, F1 IS their business.

[raindancer]

Monty ! There is no reply I can give to you considering your excellent grasp of my post. But I agree and I have repeatedly stated that the Car manufacturers are going to take over if they have not already done so.
It is not in their interest to see technical development only for development sake. They have share holders and they have to give them a return which means EPS, P/E ratios, EBITDA, Market Cap and so on.

[DragonBreath]

Even NASCAR is going to a standardized "Car of Tomorrow." (If you can call something with a 4 bbl carb, solid rear axle and pushrods a Car of Tomorrow)

  I may have to make a shirt that says that.  Well put!

[Monty]

Monty, the racing you are looking for already exists...A1 GP...... I find it terribly boring....i like the wild variances of the cars and teams in F1, because apart from the big 2 you never really know where the others are at... and the mid-field is getting into some really good battles now.....the only obstacle to you seeing the battles and passing is the directors of the telecast.

Rom, I am definitely not looking for A1GP. I went to Brands (that was the first race wasn't it?) and I almost fell asleep. I'm not completely against F1 as it is; I want the same, but better! Perhaps the Overtaking Committee set up by johnbull's Ferrari International Assistance club may give me what I want....racing!
At the moment my favourite open wheel formula is GP2 because you get close racing with lots of overtaking. I still want the big teams, the 'celebrity' drivers, lots of noise and spectical but without the politics and where races are won on the track not in the pits.