Do any of you think we will see Maserati back in F1?

No. Too much money, not enough gain. Besides, Ferrari is in F1, and FIAT doesn't need to foot the bill for another one of its brands to try and compete with it.


Sadly, Maser has moved from great racing heritage (that started before Ferrari) into more luxury/GT market. Such things happen, and sometimes its the smart decision. How many old F1 teams still exist? At least Maser has the chance to survive and continue making cars...

 

No, because Ferrari is already in F1. I can see them compete in the LM/Prototype series tho.

 

+1

Wouldn't mind seeing some kind of LMP car with maser styling cues and badge on it.

 

Nope

 

As I understand this, Maserati is to be the luxury line, no racing. Alfa will enter LeMans with the 8C. Ferrari will stick with F1, no factory entered sports cars.

This info came from a business deal I was involved in that included Ferrari Spa.

 

Not unless either:

a) Hell freezes over
b) Maserati is sold off

 

The 8C will Alfa's be halo car much like the MC 12 was to Maserati. Don't be surprised if you do see Maserati in open wheel racing. But it won't be F1, if it happens it would be part of a return to the Indianapolis 500 now that CART & Indy Cars have kissed and made up. Maserati has a very strong history of racing in the US and Maserati's success as a company depends on the US market.

 

Racing is not in the Luca directive to the group. Of course, things could change, but as I understand this, this is the corporate directive. Maserati will only build luxury performance cars, no racing.

A very famous group is handling the Alfa return to racing. You see their name on the side of many well known sports cars.

 

Very familiar with what is going on within the group. A possible return to Indy was in the plans before Maserati re-entered the US. Everything came to a halt when CART & Indy split apart. Once Maserati makes it to 10,000 + units a year for a few years, then youl may see them start looking at different forms of racing.

 

If Ferrari (Montezemolo) wanted to have 4 cars (like Red Bull) they could buy up Toro Rosso and re-brand it Maserati. I suspect they could come up with the appropriate paperwork to make it seem like a separate entity. But I'm not sure why Red Bull wanted 4 cars anyway...

 

I was also wondering if Dallarra would ever return, or if Panoz would ever venture into F1.

 

They probably won't have for very much longer.

However, doesn't this almost go to the issue of whether Alfa is getting more of a halo imposed upon it than Maserati?

IMHO, that 8C seems to overshadow the recent Maserati offerings, so should we be asking if Alfa might be the one to make a comeback in F1?

I understand there might be problems with the Concord rules on 2 cars only per maker, but wouldn't it be great to see F1 in traditional pure makes like the days of old? Lotus, Mercedes Benz, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, good gosh - maybe even Bugatti? Yes, still with room for specialty makers like Brabham, BRM, or McClaren.

Kind of makes all of this worry over the likes of such as Minardi or Toro Rosso or TATA seem a little wimpy to me.

 

Most people said the same thing about Maserati when the first saw the MC 12 vs the Enzo.

 

'touche' ... perhaps the hand-made Italian suits are now getting even?

 

+1

A point that ought to be obvious...

 

I agree that the 8C is not only the best looking car coming out of Italy, but probably anywhere. Now if it only had a supercharged 2.9 straight 8.

My point was that most people find the MC 12 to be more attractive than the Enzo, although maybe a LARGE.

 

Point well taken. While I admire the performance level of the Enzo, I have never much liked the looks of the thing. MC12 would seem to be about the same mechanicals under a far better looking skin. They had one in the Boardwalk showroom last spring for the annual F-car show; just as pretty in real life as in the pictures.

I guess that coming from the late 50s and up to the Ghibli, Maserati always had the upper hand in prestige over Alfa Romeo to my way of thinking. You have to go back a long way to remember that the Alfa of its day was considered to be on par with even Bugatti.

It is interesting to remember than J. M. Fangio won championships in all of these makes, plus Mercedes Benz. Too bad for us traditionalists that those days would seem to be gone forever.

Dowse with the contents of a potty all them who denounce the Maserati!!! (courtesy Henry Manney III)

 

Pre-war Alfas were among the most prestigous cars in the world. Say the words "Two-Nine" and you will see the eyes of any real automotive enthusiast light up.

I agree, but while we always have vintage racing, its rare to 335S, 410S going up against a 450S & 300S add in a D24, a C & D type, a DBR1 and an SLR. That is truly the most interesting era in Sports Car Racing.

I always said what do you call fast: 200 MPH in a modern car with super wide radial tires, carbon fiber brakes with ABS, Traction & Stability Control. Or 180 mph in car designed in the 50's with 7 inch wide biasply tires on wire wheels with drum brakes with a lap belt....maybe?

Most people don't know that Maserati was known as the Car of Kings in the early 60's, that their build quality was superior to that of Ferrari or Lamborghini and that they were a more attactive company (to purchase) in the 60's than Ferrari during the first buying frenzy of small exotic manufacturers.