Bernie speaks out at the new teams

[Duke]

Don't hold back now

Bernie Ecclestone suspects that 'one or two' teams will drop out of Formula 1 before the end of 2010, and reckons that Lotus aside, this season's new squads would not be missed if they departed.

...

"But I would not be surprised if one or two of them did not make the end of the season. I think there are a couple of teams in Formula 1 who really shouldn't be there. They are a bit out of their depth at the moment."

Ecclestone does not feel the current 24-car grid size - which could expand to 26 next year if the FIA accepts any of the applications for the slot formerly earmarked for US F1 - is essential and reckons a return to a 10-team field would be no problem at all for F1.

While singling out Lotus as a worthwhile addition to the field, he suggested the other 2010 newcomers have brought little to the sport.

A much needed poke at the FIA there. I hope they don't make the same mistakes twice with the selection process, although they have already taken too long imo and the new teams will struggle like these have due to a lack of time to prepare.

 

[Goksly]

They should have gone with ProDrive for sure... USF1 with their one employee - how did that get through the checks?

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

They will make the same mistakes, you know what like.

I actively want HRT and Virgin to fail, they are roadblocks in the way of the real teams.
I think Lotus could at least pull out a better car next year and not be so awful. The other teams? Meh.

They should have gone with ProDrive for sure... USF1 with their one employee - how did that get through the checks?

They're idiots?

What about StefanGP? They should have let them in.

 

[233]

prodrive would have been an excellent addition to f1 they have a fantastic setup with fingers in many many pies, plenty of engineering expertise kicking around their hq as well.

 

[Goksly]

What about StefanGP? They should have let them in.

I think it was a good call not to let them in. It was all a bit rushed etc - they would have just been slower and lots of potential for financial issues. Better to give them much more time to plan, or ideally join up with another team like Sauber.

 

[Flibster]

Virgin went down the wrong route with the design philosophy, going purely CFD.
HRT ran out of money and as such Dallara shelved the project and the car was basically undeveloped from the original design that wasn't that strong anyway.
Lotus did the best job of all of them in a much shorter timeframe. Announced to have the entry on September 15th and had only 4 employees, car fired up on Febuary 7th. Ok, not an advanced design, but it's proved to be fairly solid.

The biggest problem the new teams seem to have isn't the engine - that actually appears pretty good. But the Xtrac gearbox and associated hydraulics. They seem to be utter guff. Hopefully they will move away from them and use custom pieces next year rather than off the shelf kit.

 

[Duke]

I think it was a good call not to let them in. It was all a bit rushed etc - they would have just been slower and lots of potential for financial issues. Better to give them much more time to plan, or ideally join up with another team like Sauber.

StefanGP had (or led to believe) the 2010 Toyota chassis & support, so should have been a better bet than HRT. As Flib said above, Lotus have done well and I believe they could be using Renault engines next season IIRC. Virgin are a bit of an odd one. They have improved the car a bit and have good backing? But not making huge progress really.

 

[elmuzzy66.]

I think stefab gp only had 1 car/ chassis available and thats why they failed to bid

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Wouldn't personally miss any of the new teams. Have hardly noticed them. Wish the main teams were allowed to have 3 cars instead, then we might see some racing.

 

[Sone]

prodrive would have been an excellent addition to f1 they have a fantastic setup with fingers in many many pies, plenty of engineering expertise kicking around their hq as well.

their failed F1 entry a few years before probably killed off there chances.

 

[Duke]

Wish the main teams were allowed to have 3 cars instead, then we might see some racing.

Or not as the recent case may be...

 

[Vertigo]

their failed F1 entry a few years before probably killed off there chances.

To be fair, that wasn't their fault. They were intending to enter using a McLaren customer car but, when the plans to allow customer cars were changed, it basically stopped them in their tracks.

Regards Bernie, whilst I agree with him that HRT & Virgin are a waste of space, I'm pretty certain that he'd have been bringing pressure to bear on the FIA to select USF1 for the commercial benefits, and look what happened to them!

Incidentally, with regards to USF1, is it just me or is Peter Windsor's reputation pretty much in tatters? He's a former team manager turned journalist, writing for F1 Racing for around 15 years prior to his departure to create USF1. I got the impression that he was fairly well respected in the paddock and, as someone who's been involved in F1, wrote from a position of knowledge and authority on various subjects.

Now? It would seem that he's disappeared completely. His USF1 venture seems to have done nothing more than demonstrate that he has no idea at all how to create or run an F1 team. I'd imagine any return to journalism would be difficult as he'd have trouble writing critically about team strategies and tactics when he's tried and failed to run a team himself.

When F1 Racing ran an article on the USF1 debacle a few months ago, he even refused to be interviewed by his former publication!

 

[6thElement]

If I'm getting the names right, Windsor was one of the commentators for every race with SpeedTV in the USA and used to do the English language questioning the drivers after the podium in the press interview.