FIA Opens F1 for Expansion

"King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider" (king-ginger) 12/13/2013 at 01:26 • Filed to: None

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Reports (link below) indicate that the FIA has opened up F1 for an additional team. Attached are the usual strings of minimum timeframe for involvement and something about "competitive" something or other.

Don't get me wrong, there will be a line around the block to compete but I am not sure that any of the teams will be very compelling or a good addition to the sport and that all comes down to money.

Motorsport, by its nature, is now a business (regardless of its amateur beginnings). That being said, it is a business based on a lot of intangibles - the number of Chevrolet SS's competing in NASCAR is not directly attributable to sales figures for GM, only the ethereal concept of "brand awareness." When you start talking about advertising and sponsors, it is even more murky in terms of value for investment. Essentially, racing is a black hole for money that everyone feels they should be a part of because there isn't really much proven methodology to support a reason NOT to and, hey, everybody else is doing it.

Which then makes the amount of money required to compete in modern F1 to be simply ludicrous. It is the pinnacle of motorsport and so all of the same problems (brand awareness, sponsors ROI) is magnified as the budgets increase. What few tenuous connections between investment and return become strained in the face of how long it takes to become competitive for a new team.

The one group (completely ignoring privateers and oil barons and Russian mobsters on purpose) that at least has the budget enough to pay for plane fuel AND ensure its drivers get a paycheck are the manufacturers but most automakers shy away because it takes years to become competitive (Toyota?) and, as evinced by Infiniti and Honda, there are alternatives to full participation that can be lucrative from a branding perspective. Plus, the growing competition from the endurance and GT racing around the globe for mosport dollars means that budgets are tied up in series that involve ever so slightly more realistic cars and technology. Of any possible future teams Cadillac (GM), Ford, or Toyota would be the ones we would all most WANT to compete because they have the capital to make a compelling challenge to the established ranks...but are any of them likely additions? Maybe Ford. Maybe.

With the fact that there are talks of mergers or teams dropping out and the ridiculous fake dramatics-for-the-sake-of-competition (Pirelligate, DRS, double points), I am not sure that adding a team is the thing that needs fixing in F1.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/12/11/fia…

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider 12/13/2013 at 02:57

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If you ask me we need to less teams not one more. Caterham and Marussia are fuckin' useless. If there was enough, want, from some of the car companies to enter, there is no need for a new team to be added. I am sure both of the teams I mentioned would be happy to sell their licenses. There is just no candidates to get in F1 with the astronomical costs and not so obvious rewards that comes with comepting. There are always the rummors that VW will enter, but one day they will and the oter they won't. Ther are some rummors that BMW can return, but I am not so sure. Toyota re out of the picture, they just don't want to sink the amount of money with the average results they did in the past.

And I think the Big 3 from USA will not enter. Not enough popularity in 'Murica and I think they are just too stingy to do soemthing. Also Ford's last wenture in F1 with Jaguar was a failure.

t_s > King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider 12/13/2013 at 04:06

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Private teams are important to F1, there's no doubt about it. However they've got to bring something to the table more than filler. Marussia and Caterham are nice to have on the grid, but surely more can be done? In MotoGP the factory teams lease out less technically advanced machinery to satellite teams which are effectively using last year's equipment. Why can't the same happen for F1? I think it would make for more interesting racing.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider 12/13/2013 at 06:51

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I dunno, it'll give Marussia someone to beat at least.

itsnothere > King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider 12/13/2013 at 08:13

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Honda F1= Jenson Button+Ross Brawn

?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > t_s 12/13/2013 at 08:58

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Well in essence that's what many of the mid pack do. Force india uses older mercedes power, Sauber used to use old Ferrari engines, and many of the backmarker teams used to just be feeder teams for the front using last year's tech. I don't know why they stopped being so common though.

t_s > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 12/13/2013 at 10:52

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But why can't they lease a whole car instead of just an engine? I'm sure it would be cheaper than shouldering R&D costs for an entire cars?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > t_s 12/13/2013 at 11:21

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I think it has to do with testing reasons. Think about it - the biggest spenders can essentially have a 4-car team.So Lotus, which can barely field 2, would be horribly outgunned by Ferrari and McLaren and RedBull. So those at the front would stay at the front.