SAUBER SOLD

27 May 2013

  The BMW Sauber team has been sold to a Swiss based Investments company, Qadbak Investments Ltd which represents "certain Middle Eastern and European based families".  

   If given the green light to race in 2010, the Sauber cars will be equipped with Ferrari engines and transmissions, it is reported in the German press. Publications including Sport Bild said the transaction selling the Hinwil based outfit to the mysterious Swiss based foundation Qadbak is for 80 million Euros. 

   Little is known about Qadbak Investments Ltd although earlier this year, through a subsidiary, it bought the English football club NottsCounty.

   BMW Sauber's parent BMW AG made the press announcement on Tuesday, and a spokesman for the Swiss based team has now said: "The team expects to line up on the grid for the first race of the 2010 season." 

 Sam Snape 

17-09-09

BRIATORE IS BUGGERED

27 May 2013

  Not really a question any more is it? Renault made a short announcement over night to the effect that they admit that the cheating allegations raised by Nelson Piquet Jr are true and that both Briatore and Symonds had been sacked. Sorry, resigned…  

     The Renault statement was just three short lines long, but then many press releases that have had dramatic consequences have been rather short. “Peace in our time” springs to mind. Renault’s may as well have been just three words long, “Guilty as charged” would perhaps have been more eloquent. 

   Renault’s statement read; “The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.It also wishes to state that its Managing Director, Flavio Briatore and its Executive Director of Engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team.Before attending the hearing before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September 2009, the team will not make any further comment.” 

  Putting the best light on this you may believe that the Renault board, having learnt the truth have sacked those responsible, are admitting guilt and throwing themselves at the mercy of the FIA. Another view is that as the charges are against Renault themselves, and not any other individuals, then by having sacked Briatore and Symonds, neither of these would have to show up at the hearing on Monday as they are no longer employees of Renault. No more embarrassing details would be forthcoming as it would just be “Guilty m’lud” and cop this sentence.

   However that would not be in the best interests of at least one of the dearly departed. Symonds only gets immunity if he testifies. If he wants to have any future in the sport, and I’m sure he still does, he will have to turn up anyway and may still give some totally damning evidence. 

  I’ve got to say that the only thing in this that has surprised me is that Pat Symonds was involved. I have met Pat and he has always struck me as a totally honest bloke that absolutely loves the sport in which he has spent most of his adult life. Pat had been with this team since it started life as Toleman Group Motorsports back in the early 80’s. He has only ever worked with this squad in all that time through it’s various guises as Toleman, Benetton and now Renault. I can only guess that his loyalty to the team overcame his better judgement in this case. Guilty he may be but I do hope that he still has a future in the sport as he has always been one of it’s finest ambassadors. His support for associated events such as the Formula 1 for schools programme has been steadfast. 

   The new owners of Sauber (see separate story) must be feeling quite confidant that they will be on the grid next year. One way or the other. 

Sam Snape

 17-09-09

LOTUS RETURN

27 May 2013

  In a decision the traditionalists will love the Lotus name will be back in formula 1 in 2010. The newly formed Lotus F1 team has been awarded the 13th entry in the 2010 Formula 1 championship, the governing body announced on Tuesday.

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  The FIA said it had also received an "impressive" application from the BMW Sauber team, but given the uncertainty about the ownership of the Sauber squad the governing body decided to give the entry to Lotus although Sauber was given the "14th place" in case any vacancy arises on the 2010 grid.

The Lotus entry will be backed a company called 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, with Tony Fernandes as team principal. Fernandes is the founder and CEO of the Malaysian-based Tune Group, owner of the Air Asia airline. Mike Gascoyne will be the team's technical director and Lotus will use Cosworth engines.

The company is a partnership between the Malaysian government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs. The Lotus name will return to Formula 1 as a constructor for the first time since 1994.

Lotus will be initially based at the RTN facility in Norfolk, UK, some 10 miles from the Lotus Cars factory. The 50,000 square foot facility was originally built by Toyota for its initial Formula 1 programme and then used by Bentley for its Le Mans programme.

The team's future design, R&D, manufacturing and technical centre will be built at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit.

  Although the FIA approval of Lotus's plans has come late in the year, leaving the team in a race against time to get ready for 2010, Gascoyne is sure it can still make an impact.

"It will be a big challenge to get on the grid, but certainly by mid-season I think we would clearly like to be the best of the new teams, and by the end of the year I would hope we have broken into the top ten overall,"

"Things are very tight," he said. "We are aiming at the second week of February for the roll-out, and we have got a huge amount of work considering we are starting from nothing.

"One of the good things with Tony Fernandes and the Malaysian backing is that it is a very well-funded thing. We have got a very big aero programme in place with Fondtech and Jean-Claude Migeot, and we will be expanding that. The first half of the season will be tight, but it is a great challenge."

And Gascoyne has admitted that there are special emotions both reviving the Lotus name and setting up work at a factory in his local Norfolk.

"We are based at the RTN factory and I went to school about four miles down the road," said Gascoyne. "I was born and bred in Norfolk, and there is a bit of emotion about it.

"It is the same for Malaysia, with the Proton and Lotus tie-up. It brings a famous name back into F1, and it is a good story for F1. We are not pretending to be the old Team Lotus. We are the new Lotus F1 team."

The governing body added the it will look into expanding the grid to 14 teams, so that the Sauber team can continue next year as it appears that a buyer has been found. The FIA are consulting urgently with the existing teams regarding the introduction of an appropriate rule change to expand the grid to 28 cars in time for the first Grand Prix in 2010.

Depending on the outcome of the Renault/Singapore GP race fixing enquiry however this may not be necessary. Renault may be expelled from the championship or even quit if they receive a guilty finding.

FISI AT FERRARI & IS BRIATORE BUGGERED

27 May 2013

  As widely predicted, Giancarlo Fischella, fresh from his excellent second place for Force India at Spa has been confirmed as the unfortunate Luca Badoer’s replacement at Ferrari starting at next weekends Italian Grand Prix at Monza. 

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   Fisi will finish the season for Ferrari now that Felipe Massa has been ruled out for the rest of the year and is expected to stay with the team as the test and reserve driver next year. Massa is likely to return for the beginning of next season however head injuries can prove to be very slow in recovering, just ask Kark Wendlinger, so Giancarlo may well be racing for the prancing horse next year as well. Alongside who, you ask? Well Kimi has a contract, for what it is worth, as has Massa. According to the rumours, so does Fernando Alonso and there is always that German fellow who is apparently quick that is contemplating a drive or two. Haven’t seen a five car team since BRM in 1972………. 

  Will Kimi & Fernando do a swap? Sort of depends on the outcome of the enquiry into last years Singapore GP and if Renault will be around at all. It has been announced that the Renault team has been summonsed to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sports Council on September 21 to answer charges that Nelson Piquet’s crash was no accident. It is alleged that he was instructed to prang at that time to enable Alonso who had just pitted for fuel to take the lead as the rest of the field would be pitting behind the safety car. 

  The timing of Piquet’s shunt was always a bit suspicious and there were many comments at the time, including from Felipe Massa, that is was intentional. The FIA claim that they now have fresh evidence available and they feel that Renault do indeed have a case to answer. Could it be that Flash Flav fucked up when sacking Piquet a couple of weeks ago and that the bitter Brazilian has blabbed? The timing would seem to suggest that Piquet may be the source of the “new information” and one would think that any evidence would have had to come from inside the team or from someone closely associated with it.

   It wouldn’t be the first time that a team under the leadership of Briatore has been busted for dodgy dealings. Back in the mid-nineties the Benetton squad was caught with traction control software still on their cars despite it being banned. Benetton claimed that it was not activated and no-one could prove otherwise but there had been suspicions about Schumacher’s starts for most of the year when it was discovered. And of course Flav was in command when the Luftwaffe dive bombed Hill at Adelaide in ’94. 

  What will happen if the case is proven? Well Renault are being charged under Article 151c, which is the standard disrepute charge and can result in a wide range of punishments, ranging from reprimands and fines through to race bans and exclusion from the world championship. Will Renault be tossed out of the championship? Will they cop a McLaren style fine? Will they just consider it all too embarrassing to be branded cheats and pull the plug on their involvement in the sport themselves? What then for Williams engine deal? Where would Kimi go? Which new team would be allowed in to fill their slot? And what of Flav himself? Would Briatore be banned from the sport? And what of Piquet himself? Even if he is the whistle-blower a guilty verdict will do nothing for his rapidly evaporating F1 career. Even if he escapes sanction not many teams will want to hire someone with such loose lips, especially one who has found to be involved in such outrageous cheating. Not too many sponsors would want to be associated with him either.

Nor with Renault or Flav either for that matter. And even if found not guilty, this could not have come at much of a worse time for Renault who are looking for a replacement title sponsor as ING will be ending their deal at seasons close.

  And you thought things would quieten down after the recent Concorde Agreement? HA!!

Sam Snape

 05-09-09

F1 – BMW QUITS, SCHUMACHER RETURNS

27 May 2013

  In a move that shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, indeed Max Moseley will be saying “I told you so”, BMW have announced that they are quitting Formula 1 as both a team and an engine supplier at the end of this year. With a 90% decline in yearly profits the German car maker has decided that there are more politically correct things they could be spending several trillion Deutschmarks on. Had they been enjoying more success and had a more stringent cost cutting agreement gotten through they may have stayed but as neither of these were the case, the plug has been pulled. 

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   As Max has quite rightly, not always politely, pointed out, manufacturers come and manufacturers go in F1. And when cash is a bit tight they can’t go fast enough. Either on the track or out the door. This will be BMW’s second exit in 22 years and Renault are rumoured to be seriously considering the same thing. Flash Flav has been said to have been racking up the frequent flyer miles trying to find the finance for a management buy-out. Just sell the yacht Flav… Toyota have denied that they are looking for a way out but as they have already cancelled the Japanese GP from the company owned Fuji circuit who can be certain where their next cost cutting measure will be. Just because the team manager says they will not withdraw doesn’t mean the folks in Tokyo agree. Mario Theissen didn’t see it coming either. Just last week he was on about how they had overcome their car problems and were expecting to improve greatly next year. Oops. 

  All of which of course, frees up Robert Kubica to look for other employment, which may well have buggered up Nico Rosberg’s hopes of a McLaren seat. Bet young Nico is glad he didn’t sign that BMW contract that was being waived under his nose. What now becomes of the 13^th

team slot for next year? Will Peter Sauber buy the team back? Will Prodrive (Aston Martin) or Epsilon Euskadi buy their licence? Will Harry Potter enter in his Morris? Time will tell. 

  Meanwhile the good news is that Felipe Massa is well on his way to recovery. He is conscious and alert and able to talk with his doctors and may well be released from hospital as early as next week. It also appears that there is no permanent damage to his left eye, just a bucket load of swelling.

Ferrari has announced that Michael Schumacher will drive at Valencia in Felipe’s place and may well see out the rest of the season if he is competitive. Ferrari has requested permission from the other teams and the FIA to be allowed to give their super-sub a days testing before the Spanish race. Hmmm, perhaps the FIA will invoke the Red Car Rule again and allow it but I can’t see the other teams saying yes. After all, Alguersuari at Toro Rosso got none and neither will Grosjean when he hops into Piquet’s Renault, whenever that may be. Renault’s appeal against the Valencia suspension will be held on August 17. In any case Ferrari are already cheating by running the German in a 2007 car at Mugello. They claim that a) it is not this years car and b) the car belongs to the Client Department not the F1 team so it is not covered by the test ban rules. Perhaps Red Bull and Renault could run their replacement drivers in what they call next years car belonging to Red Bull Technologies or ING Client support and claim the same thing.