Prodrive Entry Should Be Reopened - Jordan

[KoolMonkey 0]

http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/6819/617/

Nov.2 (GMM) The twelfth garage vacancy in F1's pitlane should be reopened if Prodrive fails to join the action in 2008, according to Eddie Jordan. David Richards' Prodrive outfit was selected by the FIA last year out of multiple other applicants to debut in 2008.

But with Prodrive's plans facing serious problems in the form of uncertainty about the 'customer car' rules, Jordan - who was among the unsuccessful applicants for F1's twelfth team slot - says he and others should be given another chance to apply.

"What is disappointing is that several teams

[Elizabeth Sterling 0]

http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/6819/617/

I have to say I agree wholeheartedly. Prodrive were awarded a licence to race in 2008. It appears highly likely they are not going to. Thus their license should be revoked, and bids taken again for the spot. Richards had no intention of actually starting a proper F1 team. Instead, he figured he could take the easy route and just buy a McLaren or 2. Turns out he's not going to be able to do that.

I'd much rather see Jordan back running a team, even Stoddard. Richards made the decision to use a customer car. Really when you think about it, he could be in breach of his contract to filed a car in 2008. Had he been working on actually building some cars for 2008, then it would be ok. But as I see it, the whole things been a joke to begin with.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the customer car move for prodrive is only interim whilst they build their factory/tech center? More, Jordan in their last year purchased half their car from Toyota, not just the engine but the entire rear end/gearbox too. As for revoking their license and opening the process... how exactly would anyone fill that void in the time available? Besides, prodrive has the funds. Jordan has nothing and his resources are all in the hands of Spyker, Minardi doesn't have proper development facilities and the other options wanted to be customer teams permanently.

Besides, Prodrive is an established name in motorsport and this isn't DR's first foray in to F1 either.

[KoolMonkey 0]

It was my understanding that the customer car thing was going to be permanent. It wouldn't make any sense to buy a McLaren, then in the meantime, go make yourself an Arrors/Spyker/Minardi.

Purchasing engines and gearboxes was common practice. Buying a whole new car and putting on a new paint job isn't.

Good point about someone putting something together in the small amount of time available. It's not going to happen. Prodrive should be fined or have their license taken away from them.

I think Jordan could field a team again if he wanted to. Even Minardi could. How competitive they would be, would be another story though lol.

Maybe the other teams don't actually want a 12th team. I don't know. But I would have much rather seen a team come in as the 12th on their own merrit, and not just a copy & paste job from a top team.

[Rainmaster 7]

It's too late for another team to take up the slot for 2008 now, I hope ProDrive start but they have been very quiet.

[Elizabeth Sterling 0]

It was my understanding that the customer car thing was going to be permanent. It wouldn't make any sense to buy a McLaren, then in the meantime, go make yourself an Arrors/Spyker/Minardi.

They're building a huge, expensive tech center so I'm fairly certain they are going to build their own when it's done.

Purchasing engines and gearboxes was common practice. Buying a whole new car and putting on a new paint job isn't.

No, as in the rear end of the car, the rear wing, the rear bodywork etc.

Good point about someone putting something together in the small amount of time available. It's not going to happen. Prodrive should be fined or have their license taken away from them.

I think Jordan could field a team again if he wanted to. Even Minardi could. How competitive they would be, would be another story though lol.

Jordan is widely reguarded as being responsible for his own downfall with his overambition and overspending and Minardi don't have the resources. Jordan has even less considering they sold it all to Midland, they can't really just imagine a new car and have it become reality.

Maybe the other teams don't actually want a 12th team. I don't know. But I would have much rather seen a team come in as the 12th on their own merrit, and not just a copy & paste job from a top team.

Extra cars are extra cars for me really.

[Eric 0]

It shouldn't. There aren't 24 drivers that I can think of that are available that should be on the grid. Quantity over quality. I'd rather see a Yamamoto-less 22 car field than a 24 car field with Alex Yoong in it.

[JonnyWeir 0]

Haha. Whenever my cousin and I are driving and stuff up, the thing to say is always "Nice one, Yoongy."

Here's a clip of why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQBSGipy4A

[Eric 0]

Haha. Whenever my cousin and I are driving and stuff up, the thing to say is always "Nice one, Yoongy."

Here's a clip of why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQBSGipy4A

Ahh, yes, Yoong in his natural habitat: the barriers.

[Rainmaster 7]

Ahh, yes, Yoong in his natural habitat: the barriers.

Hey street circuits are hard!

[David Adams 0]

Im surprised that David Richards isn't wanting to purchase the McLaren cars and spares from the season we just watched, you would think McLaren would have created enough parts to run ProDrive for at least half the season....

Its not as though it will be slow either, you would expect it to be fighting the BMW of that year...

[Eric 0]

Im surprised that David Richards isn't wanting to purchase the McLaren cars and spares from the season we just watched, you would think McLaren would have created enough parts to run ProDrive for at least half the season....

Its not as though it will be slow either, you would expect it to be fighting the BMW of that year...

The reason they wouldn't do that is Honda and Super Aguri...the old Honda was faster than the new one. Sure, I don't expect a disaster from McLaren, but I do recall Jenson being hyped as a title contender...

[MannTecV10 0]

Was the whole 2008 entry auction not all surrounding Max 'the mogul' Mosely's intended rules where F1 cars COULD be purchased off of others or multiple teams run a chassis designed by a third party (ie: Lola, Dallara etc). The idea was to allow costs to be reduced, and allow the privateers to survive in the sport and this not all turn into the battle of the car firms!

I assume it is this premise that Prodrive (and others) made their bids under. True it is a wee bit unfair to have four identical cars on the grid where they are supplied by the 'top constructor points scorers based on combined drivers championship points'. But then again, we have Red Bull / Toro Rosso this year with a near as damm it identical chassis - but they had different engines.

Perhaps a solution would be for Prodrive to buy a car from one team and an engine from another (and redesign the backend of the car to fit the engine)

So would a McLaren Cosworth (using the Williams 06 engines) be the solution to this problem?

[KoolMonkey 0]

Hmm not a bad idea Mann, but a point someone brought up previously is this. Would the manufacturer teams be comfortable with a Team B actually beating them? Honda were not happy at all. So on paper it might save costs, but it won't save face for any of the big teams if they are then being beaten by their cheap cousins.

[MannTecV10 0]

Hmm not a bad idea Mann, but a point someone brought up previously is this. Would the manufacturer teams be comfortable with a Team B actually beating them? Honda were not happy at all. So on paper it might save costs, but it won't save face for any of the big teams if they are then being beaten by their cheap cousins.

True, but no comments fro RBR about Torro Rosso's Shanghai result!

The issue with Honda and SA is that Honda took a massive step backwards this year with the car. Assuming that hadn't happened, I doubt they would have cared if SA had picked up 4 points this season. Indeed Honda, by selling last years ar to Honda Japan who in turn 'designed' it for SA, they were then unable to jump back to the 06 car (which would have picked up many more points in JB's hands the way he drove the second two thirds of this season) whilst working on a ' B car'.

But I see this as a solution, especially with there being absolutely no time to design a Formula One car from scratch before the first race of 08.

Unless there are any 'legal' F1 cars sat out there in the world ready to go? The only possible car I can think of is the 'Dallara' Midland had comissioned before buying Jordan. I 'think' Prodrive have the facilities to manufacture and build an F1 car, perhaps there is a finalised wind tunnel tested set of designs out there somewhere? But I doubt it!

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I agree that the slot should be re-opened to the other original entries, but surely now its too late for Jordan or any other entry to start a new team in time for 2008!

[The Rumble Strip 0]

[aussief1 4]

I agree that the slot should be re-opened to the other original entries, but surely now its too late for Jordan or any other entry to start a new team in time for 2008!

Maybe a later starting date for the new entry could be negotiated, with no entry fee which would be effectively paid for by Prodrive if they fail to lodge an entry to the 2008 season.

Didn't Super Aguri manage it in not to dissimilar a time scale.

They did yes, but with the old 2002 Arrows A23 chassis. I doubt we will ever see that moved pulled off again.

Assuming this was always the plan, I can