Prodrive considering 2010 F1 entry

[John S]

Prodrive boss David Richards says the British team is now seriously considering entering Formula 1 in 2010, if the rules are right.

Prodrive, who was already granted the entry a couple of years back, was to become the 12th Formula 1 team at the start of the 2008 season, but the Banbury-based squad decided against joining the sport over the lack of transparency on the use of customers cars.

But with the FIA announcing radical new rules, including a proposed budget cap, for the 2010 season, Richards admits it could now be the right time to join F1.

The Prodrive boss says once the rules and the commercial conditions are confirmed, the team is ready to start working on getting on the grid.

"The initial signs coming out from the FIA and FOM are very attractive and represent the basis for a real revolution in the sport," said Richards.

"They hold the promise to return Formula 1 to its fundamental ethos, where success comes to those with the most ingenious engineering and best organisation not simply those with the biggest budget. We are therefore very optimistic but let's wait and see what the final proposals look like when they published next week.

"Assuming that the new rules are commercially viable and there is the potential to be fully competitive, then we are ready to press the go button.

"We are greatly assisted in this by the extensive preparation work we undertook in 2007 in developing our previous Prodrive Formula 1 project. As a result of this we have a big head start and the project as well as many of the key personnel are ready to be switched back on."

Richards said his team was one of the interested parties in talks with engine supplier Cosworth, but he revealed he is also in discussions with another manufacturer currently competing F1.

"We are in discussion with one of the current engine suppliers, as well as Cosworth," he said. "They are developing plans for a customer Formula 1 engine which offers the prospect of a return to the good old days when you could bolt in a customer DFV off the shelf and win races.

"This resulted in an era when there was all sorts of innovation on the chassis side. Who can forget the six-wheeler Tyrrell, the ground effect Lotus or even the Brabham fan car. Formula 1 has clearly developed since then but the prospect of being able to be competitive and win with an affordable customer engine is still very compelling."

Richards also suggested it would be possible for his team to enter Formula 1 as Aston Martin, or have its engines badged with the British manufacturer's name.

"It is too early to say at this stage as there are number of different routes we could go. There are many discussions to be had in the coming weeks once the regulations have been published. We will then make a decision," he added.

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Today, autosport.com

[Scott]

As with Bernie, I'd rather take the 'I'll believe it when I see it' route with Dave Richards. 

Saying that, I HOPE he jumps in the fray, because ProDrive is a known success story in motorsports, and DR himself is a bigger than life character (cigar chomping and all), of which we recently lost one when Dennis stepped off.

[John S]

You are right of course Scotty, I think the release of the details of the FIA letter to FOTA teams about budget capping means Prodrive may have been forced to show their hand early, so I see this a them putting a marker down rather than a ready to go situation.

Richards may not be able to get hold of Mercedes engines for a new team as they only want to suppy 3 teams, that might put him on the back foot straight away, but Prodrive admit talking to Cosworth.

[Jericoke]

Richards may not be able to get hold of Mercedes engines for a new team as they only want to suppy 3 teams, that might put him on the back foot straight away, but Prodrive admit talking to Cosworth.

Maybe Mercedes is interested in having a team that isn't in the bad books of the FIA or FOTA.  And better than Force India.

[johnbull]

How about a Renault engine for Richards ?

[lkjohnson1950]

How about Renault pulls out of F1 when Alonso jumps to Ferrari?

Lonny

[Dare]

How about Renault pulls out of F1 when Alonso jumps to Ferrari?

Lonny

with the possibility of 3 new teams do you members
think they'll go with rookie or established drivers?

[Scott]

I would guess that they should go with one and one for each team sensibly.  But ego's and funding may dictate whether or not that is possible.

[lkjohnson1950]

These days a driver with money for the team moves to the front of the line.

Lonny

[Jericoke]

These days a driver with money for the team moves to the front of the line.

Lonny

I never understood why sponsors don't back the best driver.  Why insist on, say the 50th best driver in the world when probably 10 of the top 20 are available?

[John S]

I never understood why sponsors don't back the best driver.  Why insist on, say the 50th best driver in the world when probably 10 of the top 20 are available?

It's one of the ways you get to move yourself up the order as a driver, without backing how are some of the drivers ever to get a shot at F1?

Some people are just richer or better connected than others, even the late great Ayrton Senna had massive backing with funding from his family for his racing career. Perhaps without the family money and connections he and others may not have joined F1.

Anyway whose measure do you use to determine who is in the top twenty and who is not?

[johnbull]

This is always a difficult argument. At the end of the day it's all a question of DOLLARS.

I mean how many of the present GP drivers would you swap for Anthony Davidson if money didn't figure in the equation.

Poor Davidson should be in there. He deserves to be, and he has the talent, but he lacks the connections and the sponsors.

[Jericoke]

Anyway whose measure do you use to determine who is in the top twenty and who is not?

I guess I'm just surprised there's not more 'shoot outs' to get seats. 

I suppose the rules would prohibit that though, as the shoot outs would have to come out of testing time.

In the USA the NFL has a 'combine' where all players not on a team all practise and play together so that the teams can evaluate all the talent at once and directly.  A season of F3 is a good indicator, but it's not the same as running in an F1 car, and it's tough to tell how much of a season is on the driver and how much is on the team.  And then how to compare F3 with DTM or Indy?

[Number 38]

My little Beagle named CHUDLEIGH told me 'lil Ant' is coming back and my little Beagle is never wrong. 
But he didn't tell me which team would return him to a racing seat.

[Scott]

Get your Beagle to post his picks in the next grid game, and we'll see if we should believe him about Ant