article from grand prix.com: AUGUST 31, 2004 Formula 1 and Dofasco There was some excitement at Spa over the stories in circulation that Dallara has been commissioned to build a Formula 1 car for a new team which is aiming to enter the World Championship in 2006. The project is serious with Dallara having already been paid $80m as a downpayment. Recruitment has already started even though there has been no official announcement about who is behind the project. The word at Spa was that there were Russians involved but our sources say that this is not strictly true as the company involved is a Canadian conglomerate which wants to increase its global reach with the specific aim of building up new markets in Europe, Russia and Asia. The company involved is a big player in the steel industry and we believe that the most likely candidate is a firm called Dofasco, which is involved in steel, construction, packaging, distribution and automotive componentry. The company seems to be right for a global boost. It acquired a new chief executive in the middle of last year and has adopted a strategy of growth by expansion rather than by acquiring rival firms. The company has cash reserves of more than $430m and has a strong cash-flow thanks to booming sales at the moment. The firm made a profit of $110m in the second quarter of the year. The project is not going to be officially launched until an engine deal has been agreed but it looks like the team will either have a customer Cosworth or will become the first customer for Toyota. That decision will be made shortly and we would expect to have an announcement before the end of the current season. Details of who would run the team are not yet decided. Any input from Canadian Fchatters?
News to me, my question would be why Cos or Toy engine? Why would they not hit up on the lambo/Audi, or Lotus, or Yamaha of yester year? Would it be a money thing?
When was the last time Lotus built their own Engine for F1? In the 60's they used Coventery Motors, in the late 60's thru the early 80's Cosworth, in the Mid 80's Renault and Honda. They built Chassis's but no motors.
Would the Russian connection be the rich-boy prince who bought TVR? If he's throwing money around, why not in F1, eh.
You can have a car built for CART, or for IRL -- but what happened to the rules that you have to build your own F1 machine? This is a manufacturer's series. I'm glad to see Toyota and Renault getting into the game (even if Renault is still carrying parts from Benneton, nee Alfa), and I'd like to see Jag doing better, as F1 spent too much time with Ferrari being the only real car maker on the grid - and the only team building the whole package themselves. If they turn this into another checkbook "spec" series, then I hope the manufacturers go off an built their own series.
And today, in their sportscars, they use Toyota engines. So, using a Toyota engine is as close to using a Lotus engine as you can get right now!
