Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
wandwaggler
wandwaggler
0
Joined: 13 Oct 2013, 14:10

Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

Please explain to me, fanatics. If Vettel always wins and Red Bull too - why does anyone else bother... especially no-hopers like Caterham, Sauber, STR, Marussia and Force India. It may not be a procession, but it sure as hell seems pointless!
Last edited by Steven on 13 Oct 2013, 18:00, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Removed caps in title

Jersey Tom
Jersey Tom
166
Joined: 29 May 2006, 20:49
Location: Huntersville, NC

Re: WHY BOTHER, SAUBER, CATERHAM, et al

Post

Despite the downvotes, I feel like there is something to be learned here.

Each team is not necessarily aiming to win the WDC. As it was explained to me once, if you're not one of the front runners, you're trying to be the best in your "tier." If you're the best of the low tier, you can potentially secure more sponsorship and talent and move up to the mid tier. If you're the best of the mid tier, you can do the same and try to move up to the top tier.

Funny you mention Red Bull. From 2005-2008 they finished 7th, 7th, 5th, and 7th in the WCC. At that point you may have said, "IF RENAULT WIN WHY DOES RED BULL BOTHER." They persisted, and look where they are now.

Could trace RBR's lineage further back to Stewart Grand Prix (1997) and Jaguar, who had no great success to speak of either. It's a long process. Took that shop from 1997 to 2009.
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

User avatar
Tim.Wright
330
Joined: 13 Feb 2009, 06:29

Re: WHY BOTHER, SAUBER, CATERHAM, et al

Post

Because Racecar
Not the engineer at Force India

Lycoming
Lycoming
106
Joined: 25 Aug 2011, 22:58

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

If you want to know what that looks like, check out the P1 and P2 categories in ALMS. 3 teams in P1 and 2 teams in P2.

zeph
zeph
1
Joined: 07 Aug 2010, 11:54
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

I would say that Sauber and Force India are a cut above Marussia and Caterham and valuable to F1.

ESPImperium
ESPImperium
64
Joined: 06 Apr 2008, 00:08
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

Without them you wouldn't get the engineers and Neweys of the future. You need the small guys in F1, you need to have a progression from GP2/3 & WSR to a smaller team in F1 then you can move from there.

Glyn
Glyn
3
Joined: 09 Sep 2012, 20:25

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

Because companies see Formula 1 as a way of doing a marketing push. Formula 1 is advertising and not a whole lot more.

munudeges
munudeges
-14
Joined: 10 Jun 2011, 17:08

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

wandwaggler wrote:...especially no-hopers like Caterham, Sauber, STR, Marussia and Force India.
I think some of us wonder that ourselves.

User avatar
mep
29
Joined: 11 Oct 2003, 15:48
Location: Germany

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

wandwaggler wrote:Please explain to me, fanatics. If Vettel always wins and Red Bull too - why does anyone else bother... especially no-hopers like Caterham, Sauber, STR, Marussia and Force India. It may not be a procession, but it sure as hell seems pointless!
You do realise that Sauber for example just had a series of good results and finished in front of bloodsuckers like Ferrari?

Just_a_fan
Just_a_fan
593
Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 20:37

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

The guys in the little teams know they're not in the title hunt. They have no delusions about that. But they do push as hard as they can to improve their car and to be better than the teams around them.

Each of the people in those teams is probably hoping that they will progress to a better team over time and eventually maybe even get to a title winning team.

Look at STR. They used to be called Minardi and they were tail enders at every race (except the odd result here and there). Now they're a midfield team. Sure, they got there because of the trickle down from RBR but that doesn't change the fact that many of the people working on the cars were there in the Minardi days.

Fortunes change. Just ask Williams and McLaren...
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.

CHT
CHT
-6
Joined: 14 Apr 2008, 05:24

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

As long as those smaller teams are not impeding other new teams a chance of competing in F1, that should be fine.

As for Sauber, they are of a different league to Caterham and Marussia.

motorloon1993
motorloon1993
3
Joined: 03 Sep 2012, 20:36

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

I think its something called sport..

Jersey Tom
Jersey Tom
166
Joined: 29 May 2006, 20:49
Location: Huntersville, NC

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

motorloon1993 wrote:I think its something called sport..
To be fair, while F1 is "sport" it is perhaps more so a business - a very expensive one. These teams do have to justify spending millions of sponsor dollars per year. Business managers look at all that money going out the window and I'm sure frequently ask, "So why exactly are we doing this again??"

Hence why companies like Bridgestone leave the sport - too expensive to justify, money could be better spent elsewhere. So there is a valid question of why do the less successful teams stick with it, but as said earlier the justification is success within your tier and forward progress over time.
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

astracrazy
astracrazy
31
Joined: 04 Mar 2009, 16:04

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

if the books balance (and as we see pay drivers aid that) then the teams will stick with it and continue with there targets. That might be to get 1 point in a season, as long as there is progress its worth it. But as we have seen in the past, and as you say, when it becomes too much to justify teams pull the plug very quick. Unfortunately i can see f1 losing marussia or caterham and maybe even one other in the next few years.

ChrisF1
ChrisF1
7
Joined: 28 Feb 2013, 21:48

Re: Why bother with Sauber, Caterham, et al

Post

Minardi haven't been gone for a decade and already it's been forgotten that they gave debuts to race winners and a double World Champion.

Sauber, Caterham etc are that stepping stone now.