Some interesting aspects. So at least one new team can hope to use some of Williams factory resources.3 minutes with.. Frank Williams
June 8, 2009 by James Allen
Following on from my earlier post, Frank Williams said some very interesting things on Saturday afternoon, so here they are in more detail.
He covers the current 2010 entry crisis, explains Max Mosley’s motivation, looks at the problem of engine supply if there is a split and talks about possibly housing one of the new teams on his site.
What is the situation with FOTA, you are suspended, will you go back?
“We are out of FOTA, expelled. Normally when you are expelled, you don’t go back to school or not that one, anyway. In or out, that’s fine. If we were invited back then that would be different.”
So you are committed to the FIA?
“If there are two championships we would want to be in the FIA F1 championship.”
Don’t you want to beat the best of the best?
“Depends on who the best of the best are at any one time doesn’t it? If the manufacturers start their own championship? It’s tough s**t
“It’s not a war, there are two positions, one is the FIA (with Bernie) and the other is a group which is mainly engine manufacturers and if they don’t agree with Max they may well go and form another championship.”
What do you think of the calibre of some of the new teams making entries?
“I started at the bottom and I guess some of these teams would be starting [there] given that there is quite a big gap presently between the teams in terms of know-how and technology.”
What will you do for an engine if there is a split?
“The key feature in all of this is the supply of engines. At the last meeting before the removal of Williams from FOTA it was not lost on me that the engines on the grid today are brilliant pieces of engineering and they almost never go wrong and they last three or four times longer than Cosworth 30 years ago.”
How is the relationship with Toyota since you were expelled from FOTA?
“Tested it a little bit for the first ten minutes then it settled back to normal. We have a contract (for next year) and we would wish to continue. I don’t think the damage goes that deep. I’m very happy with an up to date modern engine. The problem with the Cosworth is that it was fine in 2006 but there’s a lot of catching up to do.”
Do you think the situation can be resolved? What will Ferrari do?
“Ferrari is a key point. The curious thing is that Ferrari is not part of the FIA camp. I don’t think anyone is going to die about this. Max doesn’t want this to turn to pooh, spread all over the papers for the next six months, what damage [people] did to F1. I think there is a will to let’s be human for a change and talk to each other.
“Max isn’t looking for a fight, he just wants to avoid having teams leave, smaller ones in particular because they cannot afford to continue. I would say that he shouldn’t worry if he has six or eight or ten entries, it doesn’t sound like hard times out there, now some of them are hoping to attract the money, but there’s one or two will turn up.”
Williams has a big workforce and state of the art equipment, how will you get the company under a £40 million budget cap?
“That’s an emotional question, because Patrick Head and I have spent quite a few years building up the business. We’ve made money, lost money.
“The next time around, after the budget cap it would make us easier to make profits and remain a healthy viable, saleable business eventually. So one part of me says it would be handy; we could do with a financial breather. But the other part of me says to dismantle Williams to get down to the £40milion I don’t know. It will mean further cuts.”
Do you see some of the new teams being taken onto the factory site of the existing teams to share facilities and so on?
“That is going to happen. We are looking closely at doing that. With a young team which has enough money to do a serious job for a couple of years. Max encouraging teams to help those teams. Normally we’d say [no]. But it’s a case of having enough good teams in case other teams do disappear and it helps us spread our costs and in the case of the budget cap we could offset some of the costs and charges onto the second team. It’s book-keeping and it’s someone else’s problem.”
How does your budget now compare with the last year when you won the world title?
“We are spending around £90 to £100 million this year. In 1997 I think we never spent more than £40 million, but we had a free engine.’
I don't think I've seen anyone say that they shouldn't be allowed to compete, just that they feel that the use of the brand seems wrong to them (for whatever reason) ...ISLAMATRON wrote:And what if they earned it? RD had a F2 team and bought into the McLaren name and turned it into a giant of international motorsport.
Why would you not even give them a chance to compete? So what if they want to revive an old name?
It does seem like a ploy by BE & MM
next thing we know the USF1 team will be the Gurney ALL American racers
Yup. Lend the Scuderia Ferrari to USF1 guys, paint the cars blue and white and call the team NARTFGD wrote:Even better, they could hire out a 45 million "works" F1 team (selling off the Ferrari name for 1 season with payment of, say... 45 million per year?).
Madness!
ISLAMATRON wrote:So 40 mil capped plus drivers and 5 mil for engines if Toyota charges the same as Cosworth which I think is the intended reality as of 2010, and hospitality. A little harder to figure out for Williams but I would say that they would be down to somewhere around 70 mil next year, a decease of about 20...
alot depending on how much they would try to pay Nico to stay and if Toyota continue as a benefactor. Would travel costs for the team be considered hospitality/marketing?
The Cosworth 2.4 L has been in development since when they won the tender in back in Nov or Dec... remember that it is the same homologated lump as they had back when they competed and so are the ones run by the other teams... the electronics would probly be MEC and they can design specifically for unlimited revs again if that is the case for next year.
Obviously there is no sufficient distinction between F1 racing and performance car business in the view of the other brand owner. Litespeed must have been badly advised to use that name.Lotus distances self from Litespeed entry
Group Lotus plc has hinted that it could take action to protect the Lotus brand name after the Litespeed team revealed it has lodged its entry for the 2010 Formula One season under the Team Lotus banner.
The British F3 runners are one of a number of new teams to be chasing a slot on the F1 grid for next season, and revealed over the course of the weekend that it had secured rights to use the Lotus name from rights-holder David Hunt.
However, in much the same way that the Brabham family has announced that it will challenge plans by the Formtech company to enter under the Brabham Grand Prix moniker, Group Lotus has moved to distance itself from the Litespeed plans and said it will take steps to protect its name if needed.
“Group Lotus plc and its subsidiary Lotus Cars Limited, the manufacturer of the iconic Lotus Elise and global high technology engineering consultancy, are not connected or affiliated to, nor in any other way associated with the newly announced 'Team Lotus' that has submitted an entry for the 2010 Formula 1 championship,” a statement issued by the company read.
“Group Lotus plc will take all necessary steps to protect its name, reputation and brand image.”
A little correction here. Prodrive is indeed Aston Martin Racing for some years now. Of all the new entrants I see Prodrive (or AMR) and Lola as the only ones who's for real.Agerasia wrote:Ferrari is Ferrari, BMW is BMW, Renault is Renault etc, Prodrive is not Aston Martin and Lightspeed most certainly is not Lotus.
I bet it's based in China.gcdugas wrote:This just in.... FIA 2010 entry list leaked...
New names added to the list include surprise entries by Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Cooper, Mazerati, Bandini and Wolf.
I don't doubt Prodrive are serious, they are quite good as a team.modbaraban wrote:I see F1 2010 as a Formula1-tribute series. Hopefully they'll get tribute liveries too. Unfortunately they pay their credits to the F1 legends primarily for wrong reasonsA little correction here. Prodrive is indeed Aston Martin Racing for some years now. Of all the new entrants I see Prodrive (or AMR) and Lola as the only ones who's for real.Agerasia wrote:Ferrari is Ferrari, BMW is BMW, Renault is Renault etc, Prodrive is not Aston Martin and Lightspeed most certainly is not Lotus.I bet it's based in China.gcdugas wrote:This just in.... FIA 2010 entry list leaked...
New names added to the list include surprise entries by Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Cooper, Mazerati, Bandini and Wolf.
Didn't David Richards negotiate the middle-eastern take-over of Aston-Martin a few years back?modbaraban wrote:I see F1 2010 as a Formula1-tribute series. Hopefully they'll get tribute liveries too. Unfortunately they pay their credits to the F1 legends primarily for wrong reasonsA little correction here. Prodrive is indeed Aston Martin Racing for some years now. Of all the new entrants I see Prodrive (or AMR) and Lola as the only ones who's for real.Agerasia wrote:Ferrari is Ferrari, BMW is BMW, Renault is Renault etc, Prodrive is not Aston Martin and Lightspeed most certainly is not Lotus.I bet it's based in China.gcdugas wrote:This just in.... FIA 2010 entry list leaked...
New names added to the list include surprise entries by Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Cooper, Mazerati, Bandini and Wolf.
100% agree. For me Prodrive and Richards are the litmus test if F1 gets its access conditions for the championship right. He knows F1 and has done a good job as team principal. He could not participate for several years because he was priced out of the competition.gridwalker wrote:I believe that Dave Richards has a very real right to use the Aston Martin name on his operations.
