Teams come... Teams go. So which team will be next to disappear. Williams, Force India, Mercedes??? Williams has been dreadful this year. But others have financial issues. Will a major mfg tire of the expense?
Force India to get bought out by Rich Energy....another "soda" company. They will announce this in the coming week or weeks. Force India buyout deal 'is done' - source (May 25, 2018) https://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/readyforce-india-buyout-deal-is-done-source-20180525 Exclusive: Force India Formula 1 team expected to change owners (May 24, 2018) http://www.euronews.com/2018/05/24/exclusive-force-india-formula-1-team-expected-to-change-owners So maybe Williams first unless it gets bought out by Mercedes.
I don't know the exact financials on Williams but surely getting worse and worse. If today you where investing in a team, which would it be? Force India, without the history....or Williams? Williams great history but is frankly terrible. Force India has been on the verge of collapse for years, but continues to punch above it's weight. Part of that is investing in great drivers. Maybe not the best...but they seem to always find drivers that are more than good enough. I wouldn't be totally surprised to see Bernie invest in Williams, though.
For me it's between Williams, Force India, and Renault. If the Renault Factory team doesn't beat customer teams, how long with the board support the expense? Mercedes if the next engine spec doesn't suit them could easily say they've accomplished what they set out to do.
I voted Sauber because I think they will be next to drop out of F1; Sauber only survives thanks to the goodwill of its owners and backers and is a regular tail-ender. They have very good installations at Hinwill, but Switzerland isn't really an ideal location to operate a F1 team. . Because of very poor results lately, Williams is at risk, but there is a strong history that may tempt some investors to buy it; also Williams is involved in other business like composite, etc... that may be profitable. Cindarella on the F1 grid, Force India's future depends from the litigation against its owner, but it had strong results these last few years, and it's a very cost efficient team. As for Mercedes and Renault, they won't "disappear"; they are big car manufacturers, and they have been in motor racing since the beginning of the motor car.. But they come and go from F1, depending on their marketing policy at the time, the economic situation, etc... Renault is a bit like Honda: as long as they learn something from F1 and that benefits their engineering team, they are happy. They consider F1 as a R&D exercise.
I think Frank Williams would allow the team to burn to the ground so he could save on the water bill. I'm pretty sure they will be the first to go. After that, Force India. I don't see Liberty doing any back room machinations to keep teams alive like Bernie did...they will be happy to keep their prize money. Haas is not happy with F1; I can see him calling it a day. Ferrari is out next, too. They only sold 8400 cars last year. You can't support a F1 team on that!!
Gene Haas doesn't like the way F1 is run, because it's so different from the business model he was used to in NASCAR. I remember Gene Haas saying that his foray in F1 was a marketing exercise to advertise his machine tool business worldwide. He intended to self-finance his F1 team at the tune of $100M per year for 10 years. I don't know if Haas is chasing sponsors like other team owners do, but the team doesn't look as if it was short of money. I don't think that Ferrari Automobili is supporting the Scuderia. The F1 team is funded by sponsors, Marlboro, and the FIA dividends and special privileges. Ferrari, more than any other team, is also actively involved in marketing apparel, memorabilia, clothing, models, promoting its exclusive club, etc.. from which it receives a large revenue. Think about it, if Ferrari can't afford to support a team because it sold only 8400 cars last year, what does that make of McLaren which only produced 3400 cars during the same period?
Majority vote is for Williams?!? My goodness you’re all shortsighted. They’re the third most successful team in F1 history. (Still?) Someone would buy them.
I see consolidation more than a team quiting. 1. I think Red Bull could fold Torro Rosso into their main team and field one effort with Honda Engines. They don't need to be dividing money between two teams. 2. Of course Williams could go belly up...but Stroll (the real owner) could also (business man to business man) make a deal to merge Williams with a company like Haas. 3. Haas might be feeling a little bored spending big money (in American terms) only to be a mid-field team. Not yet wanting to quit, might consider a merger with another team like Williams or...McLaren. 4. McLaren might want to dump its entire technical package as well as its drivers but keeps it name in the sport. Buying/merging with another team could give them a new start and extra financing and sponsors. 5. Force India seems to be struggling...and when they painted their cars pink I took that at a first indication of serious trouble. Williams, Haas and McLaren could all be attractive partners.
Their last honest win was 14 years ago. I exclude Maldonado's gift win. Their last WCC was 21 years ago. Our vision is just fine.
I think that Mercedes will tire of F1 and take their act to Le Mans, where they have unfinished business. (Remember their 1999 flying circus?)
I don't see Williams ever climbing back from the slippery slope they are on. Williams has lost a lot of important staff in their technical team, they have a reduced budget as they receive less from the FIA because of poor results in the WCC. They are losing sponsors and now run their outfit on with pay-drivers: Stroll and Sirotkin. The team is less efficient year after year. Frank Williams is ageing and slowly losing grip on the team: he doesn't manage it on a day to day basis and only attends a few GPs each year. Frank Williams' daughter, Claire, doesn't have an engineering background, nor has she been connected to motor racing until a few years ago; she is now in charge. Sad, but I think the Williams team will finish like Tyrrell, being bought one day in future by a major manufacturer that needs an entry into F1 and look for a ready-to-use outfit instead of building one from scratch. You cannot compare Ferrari with Williams. Williams was at the top when independent teams could win; now only manufacturers team have a chance. Ferrari attracts support because ... it's Ferrari. Williams' backers have deserted when the success faded.
They seem to have financial problems similar to Williams, but I think they will be smart enough to sell out while they can still get something rather than running it into the ground and leaving with nothing (what I think Williams will do). Hopefully they sell to Mercedes if they are smart.
First I hear of this. Recently there was an article in Autosport (I believe) calling Force India the most cost-efficient team in F1, £ for points. It's a relatively small outfit compared to others, which doesn't seem to have problem attracting sponsors, and is run very efficiently by Robert Fernley and Ottmar Szafnauer. They have a very competent technical team and finished 4th in the WCC in 2016 and 17, ahead of well funded teams like McLaren, Renault and Williams. Honestly, I have never heard about Force India being under threat
Ferrari was never as terrible as Williams is now. They are a joke and the worst team on the grid with awful drivers. Rumor is that if they cannot find a new sponsor or be purchased by Mercedes, their days are probably numbered. How long will Papa Stroll finance this abomination for his spoiled kid when they are this hopeless.
That's the big question. Lance embarrassed himself today. Last place. 2 laps down. A full lap behind his teammate. Completely lost all weekend. Would love to have been a fly on the wall wherever Stroll Sr. was watching the race. Williams is getting worse with each race. Sirotkin is improving in the car relative to Stroll. Stroll Sr. must be fuming. Of course he says he's sticking with Williams because no one else will have his son... (Is there any doubt he's lobbied every team on the grid??), until he tires of funding this folly. Williams will almost certainly finish the season in last place. That mean minimal F1 payment. They've lost Martini... I don't see how williams survives without being bought out or partnered. Luckily,... the have exceptional history which has (IMHO) significant value.
I'm surprised that most here believe that William will disappear. Somehow or someone will save that team. Traditionally and historically Williams is good at raising money thru sponsors. I doubt they will leave the sport.
Unless Marchione, in a fit of pique against the FIA, pulls the rug from under the Scuderia, I don't see Ferrari ever leave F1. Ferrari can be its worst enemy at times, but it's too successful to fail, IMO. As for the funding, if ever the Scuderia was really cash-strapped one day, I'm sure it could rely on a massive crowd-funding among the tifossi. Williams, in the other hand, has never attracted that many supporters in comparison, and has been largely deserted by its fan after years of decline. I think that Massa being replaced by a second pay driver is a sad indication of their status now. I am just wondering why Paddy Lowe, the architect of 3 WDC and 3 WCC titles at Mercedes, resigned to join Williams !!!
Back i the early sixties Ferrari was looking for a steady stream of cash to support the racing team. That is when he found partnership with Fiat. Ferrari got everything he wanted and today Ferrari is Fiat's jewel in the crown...and the same is true with the FIA...Ferrari is F1 and the FIA needs Ferrari more than Ferrari needs them. No other team has been in continuous operation, and has as much prestige. The news today is about who will replace Marchione at the top of Fiat Chrysler...not what he will do with Ferrari. You really can't compare Williams to Ferrari...Williams had their years of glory and are now just shadow of themselves.
