Prodrive

[seppefan]

So David Richards was annoucing his team ( No2 McLaren ) at the British GP......still nothing and yet F1 has moved on so much since the British GP. Mclaren say they are ready to deal, Prodrive perhaps do not have the sponsor in place but I wonder.....Honda buy Prodrive and let Richards back. Unlikely as the Japanese do not like to loose face. Looks like Spyker in trouble also otherwise they would not have signed Yamamoto for all his dollars. Interesting times for sure.

[ChrisS]

didn't Prodrive say they signed a title sponsor a few months ago?

Why would Honda buy Prodrive? they already have 2 teams

[TMorel]

Dave Richards has been too busy to be able to announce any more team details.
First he was busy whispering in Hamiltons ear, inflating his ego by telling him how wonderful he is, then he was busy intercepting the McLaren radio signal and giving Alonso fake countdowns to leave the pits.
Then, when the infighting that he's orchestraiting gets too much for one of the drivers he can step in and offer them a good deal to join his new team and get a quality driver at a discount price.

[sonic_roadhog]

Its very odd how quiet its gone on the prodrive front. But based on how quickly super aguri were able to pitch up and run reasonably quickly there is still time, but i guess we will need to see something solid in the next 2-3 months.

[ChrisS]

This was posted on Crash.net friday but with all the things that happened since I not surprised no-one noticed.

http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~1~id~152287.htm

The session will close with a Richards will give a presentation at the 2007 Motor Sport Business Forum that will reveal all about the team.

The event takes place over 5-6 December at Monaco.

Still I expect details about the team will be revealed a long time before then

[N. Jones]

Dave Richards has been too busy to be able to announce any more team details.
First he was busy whispering in Hamiltons ear, inflating his ego by telling him how wonderful he is, then he was busy intercepting the McLaren radio signal and giving Alonso fake countdowns to leave the pits.
Then, when the infighting that he's orchestraiting gets too much for one of the drivers he can step in and offer them a good deal to join his new team and get a quality driver at a discount price.

:rotflmao:

[GridGirl]

Theres been numerous threads asking what exactly is happening with Prodrive. I'll say it again, Prodrive are saying nothing because at the present time the FIA have not let them into F1. Once the FIA give the go ahead and say they can officially be a team in 2008 they will release more information. There have been informal and verbal agreements in place for some time, actual agreements will be signed once they FIA let them in.

[jso1985]

They've have been officially accepted into F1...

[Valve Bounce]

They've have been officially accepted into F1...

LINK PLEASE!!

However, I do see the problems facing Richards will be far less than those that faced Super Aguri. Prodrive will be able to race a customer car next year, and if it is the McLaren, it will be fully tested before he gets the car, with only minor tweeking needed to suit his selected drivers.

Supr Aguri had to use those antique Arrows and initially they were tied to Japanese drivers with no test driver of any consequence.

That Super Aguri, now using last year's Honda on a shoestring budget can perform as it is now, with their driver racing against the likes of Wurz of Williams and Fisi of Renault (which must have infuriated Fisi to the extent the bugger ran the Aguri off the track) begs belief. They also seem to be doing slightly better than Team Honda :p :

Richards has the money and the infra structure in place to run a racing team. R&D will not be a priority with his customer car, and I suspect he will be able to get good drivers like Scott Speed to race in his team. Don't know about bunsen because he might still be tied to team Honda.

[jso1985]

weren't they on the list the FIA published a while ago about wich teams have been accepted into the 2008 championship?

[blakebeatty]

Prodrive is listed on the very site of the FIA. They are to be the 12th and final team on the grid

http://www.fia.com/automotive/issue4/sport/article4.html

Prodrive aquired the assets of Aston Martin in a deal with Ford. This may have changed their plans, originally ProDrive F1, perhaps now Aston Martin F1?

Aston Martin:
http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2086935,00.html

[GridGirl]

Just becuase they FIA has said they are the 12th team, it doesnt mean they have signed anything official yet. :p

I very much doubt anything will come of Aston Martin, its Mercedes that are pulling all the strings.

[leopard]

Just becuase they FIA has said they are the 12th team, it doesnt mean they have signed anything official yet. :p

Are you expecting more teams and cars on the grid? more team more gridgirls :p :

[milly]

Just becuase they FIA has said they are the 12th team, it doesnt mean they have signed anything official yet. :p

I very much doubt anything will come of Aston Martin, its Mercedes that are pulling all the strings.


1. Prodrive did not buy Aston Martin - it is owned by a mixture of US and Kuwaiti venture cpaitalists. David Richards is only chairman and the front for the business - it is run on a day-to-day basis by Ulrich Bez. Prodrive and Aston are separate.

2. To be given the entry into F1 by FIA, you have to sign an agreement with FIA confirming your entry.

Prodrive did this last year in order to be announced as the 12th team. Prodrive now has to turn up with its cars at Melbourne next year - or sell its entry to somebody else.

At present they do not have a deal in place because McLaren wants them to fund the lease of its cars properly, and over three years. Prodrive does not yet have the money in place to make any announcements......

[Robinho]

ooh, i've had a thought! (ouch)

there was a lot of talk about Prodrive using a customer chassis, likely McLaren. McLaren have been a bit busy lately in other areas, hence the lack of info. maybe the stolen plans were meant for Prodrive and we could have had a McLaren/Ferrari hybrid with Coughlan and Stepney heading up the design team? ;)

i imagine the actual truth (should we ever hear it) is likely to be stranger than any fiction i can come up with

[GridGirl]

1. Prodrive did not buy Aston Martin - it is owned by a mixture of US and Kuwaiti venture cpaitalists. David Richards is only chairman and the front for the business - it is run on a day-to-day basis by Ulrich Bez. Prodrive and Aston are separate.

2. To be given the entry into F1 by FIA, you have to sign an agreement with FIA confirming your entry.

Prodrive did this last year in order to be announced as the 12th team. Prodrive now has to turn up with its cars at Melbourne next year - or sell its entry to somebody else.

At present they do not have a deal in place because McLaren wants them to fund the lease of its cars properly, and over three years. Prodrive does not yet have the money in place to make any announcements......

Hell I only get my information from one of the 2008 Prodrive driver management team, what do I know. :p When the contracts are finally signed I'll look forward to getting a copy.

[luvracin]

ooh, i've had a thought! (ouch)

there was a lot of talk about Prodrive using a customer chassis, likely McLaren. McLaren have been a bit busy lately in other areas, hence the lack of info. maybe the stolen plans were meant for Prodrive and we could have had a McLaren/Ferrari hybrid with Coughlan and Stepney heading up the design team? ;)

i imagine the actual truth (should we ever hear it) is likely to be stranger than any fiction i can come up with

HA! Just what I was thinking... Mclaren to build and sell a Ferarri to Prodrive!!! :p :

[tinchote]

Hell I only get my information from one of the 2008 Prodrive driver management team, what do I know. :p When the contracts are finally signed I'll look forward to getting a copy.


I'm not saying that's not bound to change, but with the current regulations you need to sign up for the F1 championship 2 years in advance.

[milly]

Hell I only get my information from one of the 2008 Prodrive driver management team, what do I know. :p When the contracts are finally signed I'll look forward to getting a copy.

I can't tell you how I know, but all I can do is say that the information you have mentioned is not correct.

Under the new Concorde Agreement governing the commercial entry terms of teams in F1, Prodrive has a signed, contractual obligation to provide a team - however, it doesn't have to be their team, they could sell it to the others who were after the space originally - Carlin and Epsilon Euskadi.