Question for y'all

Some end up in the hands of driving schools, others go to museums, private collections, become show cars for teams/sponsors or display pieces in restaurants, bars, etc.

There are a number actively used in vintage racing (even recent model years...although they require an experienced staff of mechanics to operate). You will occasionally see them for sale in various magazines, auctions, etc. for example: http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/f1s.htm

Buying a ~10 year old F1 car for $100-250k is an unbelievable performance bargain, even if it costs $25-50k (or more) a year to campaign in vintage events.

 

Much like most operating warbirds are antiques, so will stay the F1 cars. The newer stuff (jets, or Super Aguri) will turn mostly into static displays, with perhaps a rare operation in a highly controlled environment. It's not just the tech (which can be replaced/replicated/etc.) but rather the materials that are suspect too. What's the safe lifespan of a featherweight exotic carbon-whatever-mix tub, and how much does an set of 10 or 8 Unobtanium rods cost?

I've wondered in the past if the Corsa Cliente program will support the Red Bull/Toro Rosso/Spyker/Sauber/whatever chassis in the future, and I still haven't heard a definitive answer. I'm not in that market anyway

Isn't there a BOSS race series that runs old Champcar and IRL cars?

 

Complexity and one off parts from each manufacturer for <10 tubs in a year make these cars white Elephants. Molds destroyed and technology marches on = no parts. And these things burn through parts like heaven knows.
Even Cossie DFV's, a "standard" engine cost $10k to refresh, not rebuild. Rebuild = same parts worries for this a "Spec" engine.
The carbon fibre tubs will be around after we're all gone providing no crash dammage. Which resembles breaking glass.

Statues.

 

Good question.

The place where I rented an ex Damon Hill Arrows from the nineties told me some of the details: You don't get a car in whole. You get basically the cf tub. Everything that can serve as spare part or is proprietary information stays behind. So they had to "re-engineer" that car and add F1 spec brakes etc to it. They replaced the steering wheel and electronics with their own system, which also helped them in maintaining their own F1 fleet (I'm sure other driving schools do the same). Finally the engine/tranny combination has to come from somewhere.

That all being said, I still wonder (like you) where all the cars have gone. You rarely see one advertised. Even in museums they are a rare find. I seem to stumble across more F1 simulators than real cars these days.

Of course then there is the Clienti Corsi program where you still get to drive the original car and all the maintenance and support is provided by Ferrari. To my knowledge no other team does this, which is a pity.