Prodrive-Mclaren talks collapse

OK, so ProDrive gets approved and goes with Renault. Alonso ends up there or switches places with Fischy. Convenient.

 

As long as Alonso isn't in a red car creatin' chaos in my team, I'm ok with where ever he may go.

That being said, I hope ProDrive finds a supplier for next year. I would like to see them do well.

 

Prodrive really isn't fair for teams like STR, Spyker, SA, and Honda working their butts off developing a new car and the rich man with the big paycheck can just buy the car, kinda defeats the purpose of constructors. If Toyota was smart, they'd stop making cars and just buy Ferraris.

 

What's really sad is companies like Toyota and Honda have budgets many times larger than Ferrari, and they still run midfield at best.

 

Matt, Toyota definately has a larger budget, but I doubt Honda does. I think they just don't get it.

 

I'd be shocked if they didn't, but I haven't seen the numbers.

 

I read that Toyota's budget was the largest followed by McLaren and Ferrari.

 

You won't get an argument from me. I just think it's amazing that a major manufacturer would jump into F1 without all the money they could spare.

 

Your right about that, the one that got me was what a blunder FORD did when they rebadged Stewart Grand Prix as Jaguar, and the American Executives who found out what Eddie Irvine was getting paid, "Who the Fck is this Eddie Irvin!"

 

I don't think any US company could get into F1 now, with the cashflow issues they have.

 

Actually, there's still a pending hearing over STR and SA, for using off the shelf RBR and Honda cars, instead of building their own.

(I wonder how much FIA politics were involved in the Japan 25 sec Vettel penalty that gave Spyker (Sutil) a point before STR got one (or eight). Or was this yet another amazing coincidence of the sort that's been around FIA all year?)

 

Plus they wouldn't want to give up their NASCAR.

 

<shudder>

HATE Nascrap. I used to work for Summit Racing, doing phone sales. Sundays during Nascrap season were the most evil days of the year. I would sit there doing nothing for 20 minutes, then 5 minutes of 50 calls in queue due to a commercial break, then nothing. Rinse, repeat. I sold maybe 1/4 of what I did on a weekday. Hate Nascrap.

 

100% in agreement Brian.

 

I think they would be nuts to do that.

Don't forget guys that the cost of running the team is not the ding to the bottom line of the team owners. You musn't forget to subtract out sponsorship monies and TV/other money paid by FOM. So that $500mm budget of Toyota might only cost them $150mm a year, and I bet they get that much in advertising out of the sport.

Don't forget that not everyone can be top dog in F1. If we point to Toyota and say "they should do better!", that *must* come at the expense of someone else. If we say Honda and Toyota should do better, let's assume they should be in the top 5. Well there's Ferrari, McLaren, Honda, Toyota, BMW, Renault. So one of those has to be 6th - that means their drivers are running average around 12th place - not very good. They are not trying to hit a specific target, they are all chasing a moving target and it's about out-performing all the other guys who are doing their damndest to outperform you.

I admire Toyota for sticking in F1. Their time will come. They have gotten better than they were, and if they get rid of Ralf, they will be a lot better off. Trulli is pretty decent - they just need to keep moving onward and upward and get the talent to let them do that. If they play it right, then in 2-3 years they could be where McLaren is now, IMO. Same with Honda. It was not that many years back when it was BAR and they were pretty solidly running in 3rd place and looking to be a title contender the next year. For every one that moves up, someone moves down. They can't all win - Red Bull has come up, as has BMW (Sauber), Toyota and Renault in the past 5 years. Honda, Williams, and some others have fallen back.

I hope Toyota stays in F1 and keeps improving. F1 needs more teams with the heart to compete rather than these one-hit wonders that come and go like Arrows, Jag, Minardi and Jordan. Those teams just occupy the back and never improve. They are filler. I'd trade the backmarkers for Porsche, Cadillac, Audi and Hyundai any day!

 

I'd love to see Porsche in F1, as well as Lamborghini. There were some Lambo powered F1 cars in the early '90's, with Audi money I'm sure they could come back again.

 

Why would you be shocked if they had a lower budget than Ferrari?

 

A Prodrive Renault with Alonso and Fisichella would be good as would a McLaren with Hamilton and Paffett or why not bring back the Hakk for a 12 month contract!!

 

They have the money to spend, most likely more so than Ferrari does. I would just find it very surprising if Honda spent less on F1 than Ferrari does, considering the size of the companies.

 

Has ProDrive announced their sponsorship yet? Perhaps they are having trouble securing the funds to pay for the McLaren deal?