Campos saved?

[christophulus]

The Campos Meta 1 team is set to make it to the grid this season after a restructuring, this week's AUTOSPORT magazine reveals. Majority owner Jose Ramon Carabante is on the verge of taking full control of the team from founder Adrian Campos. The team has battled financial problems in recent months, but Spanish businessman Carabante is working on getting its Dallara-Cosworths onto the grid

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81569

Good news at last?

[Sonic]

Thank the Gods (if true). Come on Campos!

But IMO the FIA vetting is still a failure. 50% of the teams they selected failing completely or changing ownership shows the process for what it was - a farce!

[N. Jones]

I agree. It should have been ProDrive and Lola over Campos and USF1 as the latter two just are not ready.

Maybe one day we will see a US team in F1....

[milly]

Prodrive don't have - and didn't have - the money to do F1.

Prodrive don't have the luxury of a WRC programme to draw in cash anymore.

Have you read the stories about Investment Dar (shareholder) and their default on payments, and Aston Martin's need to go to the UK Stock Market to raise funds?

[Stuartf12007]

no point in saving them as they wont last and there cars would be rubbish

[DazzlaF1]

I agree. It should have been ProDrive and Lola over Campos and USF1 as the latter two just are not ready.

Maybe one day we will see a US team in F1....

Would'nt say that about both of them mate

Campos: They have the car (albeit at Dallara) but a lack of money which looks like it could be sorted out soon.

USF1: They have no car and no money and now (if it is to be beleived) no facilities either

I hope it is true about Campos though, as it would guarantee a 26 car field (if StefanGP get in too) and also give Bruno Senna the chance he missed out on last year.

[Easy Drifter]

As I posted elsewhere even if Campos get the money and their hands on the car and engines it is going to be a near run thing to make Bahrain. You do not do final assembly on a car in a few hours or even days. All sorts of things need fitting like the fuel bladder, fuel lines, water lines, exhaust and electrics and computer data systems just to name a few. You can be sure some things will not fit and need mods.
As far as USF1 I do think they are done but I do not comprehend the comment about the factory being gone.
They are in leased premises and unless they default on the rent they have the building. Any sale will not affect them!

[CNR]

http://www.racer.com/us-f1-facing-the-end/article/164012/

the cars must be far ahead of usf1

Chad Hurley's efforts last week to secure Dallara chassis for the team from the equally troubled Campos Meta group

[DazzlaF1]

SPEED reporting that Lopez could end up being confirmed at Campos the minute Jose Carabante completes his takeover, which could be as early as Friday (Today)

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-lopez-and-campos-deal-to-be-confirmed/

[F1boat]

Good.

[maximilian]

Come ON! Let's hear some GOOD news!!! Dagnabbit!!

[Donney]

There you have it, it seems it has been saved:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81606

[racepode1]

Dallara is making the cars 24/7, aniway they could lost barhein.
Mundo Deportivo spoke yesterday with a source close to the inner circle of the pilot (who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of negotiations), who said that in the case of "Dallaras is working in three shifts to complete the cars.
http://www.carburando.com/DIA-DECISIVO-PARA-LOPEZ-N-E5BDD070112F32729A9D964947D24CAC.htm

[VkmSpouge]

Fingers crossed that this will save the team, though Kolles is saying on Autosport.com that they still need extra funding, maybe nabbing Lopez from USF1 will plug any remaining holes in their budget.

[N. Jones]

Yep, planet-f1.com has it too:

http://planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5960509,00.html

[DazzlaF1]

Fingers crossed that this will save the team, though Kolles is saying on Autosport.com that they still need extra funding, maybe nabbing Lopez from USF1 will plug any remaining holes in their budget.

Doesnt have to be Lopez, there are other possible pay drivers that could nick the seat, one that comes to mind is the one thats been rumoured with them and StefanGP recently, Karun Chandhok.

Anyway, im just happy that Campos look like they've finally got themselves sorted, all we need is for the inevitalble to happen to USF1 (which should allow StefanGP to come in) and we'll have our 26 car grid again.

[truefan72]

Doesnt have to be Lopez, there are other possible pay drivers that could nick the seat, one that comes to mind is the one thats been rumoured with them and StefanGP recently, Karun Chandhok.

Anyway, im just happy that Campos look like they've finally got themselves sorted, all we need is for the inevitalble to happen to USF1 (which should allow StefanGP to come in) and we'll have our 26 car grid again.

yep

[racepode1]

or could be both of them, here in Argentina the last new is Lopez lost a sponsor with all this situation, thats mean he only have 6 Millions the same amount chandok have.

[DazzlaF1]

Now the official F1 site are running the story, I guess we can pretty much rubber-stamp them on the grid now

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/2/10454.html

[Chev_350]

I agree. It should have been ProDrive and Lola over Campos and USF1 as the latter two just are not ready.

Why do people keep saying this??????

Lola was on the Grid....wait, no they weren't they sent cars to lap the Albert Park track for 2 days in 1997 and were never seen again.

ProDrive got a spot for the 2008 Season, in 2006.....Much more time than the current new teams and they still couldn't get their program together.

[racepode1]

¿Lola try wasn't in 1995?

[UltimateDanGTR]

¿Lola try wasn't in 1995?

no, it was 97.

you might be thinking about the dying Larrouse team, their last season was 94 and i think they tried to get something together for 95, but ultimately failed due to severe lack of funding in the 94/95 winter and they were never seen again.

[Sonic]

Why do people keep saying this??????

Lola was on the Grid....wait, no they weren't they sent cars to lap the Albert Park track for 2 days in 1997 and were never seen again.

ProDrive got a spot for the 2008 Season, in 2006.....Much more time than the current new teams and they still couldn't get their program together.

To be fair, Prodrive entered under the provision that it could be the McLaren B team, but then customer teams were banned, then allowed again, and now banned once more! If anyones to blame for PD not showing its the FIA. At least all of this seasons newbies don't have moving goalposts to cope with.

[VkmSpouge]

¿Lola try wasn't in 1995?

I believe they did build an F1 car in the 1995 season that Allan McNish tested but I think it was only a test car.

[truefan72]

To be fair, Prodrive entered under the provision that it could be the McLaren B team, but then customer teams were banned, then allowed again, and now banned once more! If anyones to blame for PD not showing its the FIA. At least all of this seasons newbies don't have moving goalposts to cope with.

well to me Pro drive does not get a pass either. If they could not be a proper team then don't enter as a B-team. I don't like that concept. Even with my beloved super Aguri, whom I hoped would have quickly become self reliant after 2 years. STR is different because they used to be Mianardi which was a team in their own right for a long time relatively speaking.

So to me the failure is at least 50% pro-drive for wanting to come in to F1 via the backdoor with absolutely no originality whatsoever.

[UltimateDanGTR]

well to me Pro drive does not get a pass either. If they could not be a proper team then don't enter as a B-team. I don't like that concept. Even with my beloved super Aguri, whom I hoped would have quickly become self reliant after 2 years. STR is different because they used to be Mianardi which was a team in their own right for a long time relatively speaking.

So to me the failure is at least 50% pro-drive for wanting to come in to F1 via the backdoor with absolutely no originality whatsoever.

agreed. If prodrive were prepared to build their own cars for 2010, then id of ratherhad them than USF1. Prodrive have a lot more experience in motorsport and i think they'd of faired better than the (what appears to be) dying USF1. Plus, prodrive could of had more chance of getting sponsors IMO.

But, USF1 announced an F1 entry before the budget cap fiasco If i am not mistaken, so I can sorta see how Max and his 'barmy army' were fooled into thinking this team was the real deal....