FS: Torro Rosso

[ben_watkins]

Dietrich Mateschitz has put the Scuderia Toro Rosso up for sale..

http://www.f1technical.net/news/8520

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx ... 6&PO=42026

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65874

Due to the 2010 regs...

[bar555]

Is it time for Minardi to re-enter Formula 1 . A dream or a possible reality Yes i am a dreamer and romantic F1 fan .

[checkered]

STR will be sold

by the end of the year then. Among the most realistic candidates to purchase the outfit: ART Grand Prix, including notably one Nicholas Todt. If this happens, it would lend huge credence to the new reports from Auto Sprint that Sebastian Vettel might replace Massa at Ferrari for 2009 already - Vettel and Massa could just "switch teams", for instance. Interestingly Schumacher has backed both drivers (quite forcefully) so it'd be interesting to see what would come out of such machinations. But I'm getting too much ahead of the game ... there is an excess of buyers on the market at this point and rather exotic ones at that (potentially Tony Teixeira of A1GP, a number of Russians, presumably Hyundai from Korea, Malaysia looking to bolster its car/petrol/biofuel industry and drivers, yet more Indians, seemingly limitless enthusiasm in the little Middle Eastern states, Porsche possibly realigning VW, and who knows about Minardi/Stoddart, operators in the rising Spanish racing scene, Americans not too enthused with joining IRL ... really too many to remember at once). So take your pick. It's the other race of the season.

[axle]

Maybe even ProDrive lol

Whoever takes it on will need deep pockets as the SA and STR cars can't be clones from 2010...

[Conceptual]

Maybe even ProDrive lol

Whoever takes it on will need deep pockets as the SA and STR cars can't be clones from 2010...

Did I miss something? I thought customer chassis were going to be legalized in 2009?

Having the Italy based STR that runs Ferrari engines already almost makes it a GREAT choice for a Ferrari B-Team. Even if they were acquired simply for the testing k/m allowance, not to mention padding the points scoring positions while running for the championships.

I think that Vettel and Kimi at the works team with Massa and Bourdais at the Bambino Scuderia would be a great arrangement.

And think of it this way... Maybe Bourdais has stumbled into the best luck in F1 history. He comes in and drives a year old car, and the next year he is driving a Ferrari. I think that would be fun to watch!

Here's hoping!

Chris

[axle]

I'd read the opposite and that Williams & FIF1 would carry on contesting them in court making them nigh on impossible to race.

Quote from ITV-F1
"Toro Rosso controversially uses chassis based on parent team Red Bull's designs, but with the 2010 rules set to prohibit any arrangement that could be classed as a 'customer car' operation, STR will need to design and construct its own unique chassis within the next two years."

[donskar]

Excellent post, checkered, about the only potential candidte you missed was China. Maybe some Chinese auto/engineering firm would like some international exposure.

Will be interesting to see:
1) What STR is worth in today's market
2) Is this just the first step? Will Red Bull withdraw completely if they do not start showing some significant results? Although they have a genius in Newey, DC is too slow and Webber is simply cursed (and isn't the fastest man on the track, either).

Keep an eye on Toyota. Their sales are slowing, they are cutting production on big trucks and SUVs and they are even facing some unionization efforts at a Canadian plant. All that while they get much more bang for the buck from their US racing efforts than they do from F1.

[Rob W]

I'd read the opposite and that Williams & FIF1 would carry on contesting them in court making them nigh on impossible to race.

Yeah, true. As I understand nothing is decided yet. Williams and a few others have made it clear that they consider the constructors championship to be for people who drive cars they constructed (so obvious it's silly really).

I think Red Bull have seen the writing on the wall and realised they need to offload Torro Rosso to give any buyer the time to get a team together and design/build a car. If they left it too late in the season then the team would be worth practically zero - since it is lacking the most valuable piece of intellectual property a team has - the car. So they're selling now rather than folding with a whimper in December imo.

R

[Principessa]

Is it time for Minardi to re-enter Formula 1 . A dream or a possible reality Yes i am a dreamer and romantic F1 fan .

There were already several possible buyers in the Australian paddock and yes...Paul Stoddart was one of them !

I believe that the fact that Seb Vettel has a clause in his Toro Rosso contract that he could move back to BMW Sauber in 2010 can come in handy for him now.

[P_O_L]

Nobody here thinks Berger will keep it and go alone?

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Time for TATA to entre F1!

What? It's a possibility! lol

That being said, what with the growing Indian Economy one could imagine TATA contemplating it, even if just to challenge FIF1.

Its unlikely I know, but hey. Just me being "out there". Wishful thinking would suggest that the Lotus, Minardi, Tyrell or Brabham names to re-appear (or Andrwa Moda!!! ) all of which are about as likely as me getting a drive in F1.

On a more serious note: Who knows who might end up buying them. I'd imagine Dave Richards might be interested in this. It could be anyone from the reasonable (Like Richards or ART GP) to the unreasonable: Its not beyond the relms of possibility that Richard Branson might want to rival his indian counterpart Mallya?

Who knows what could happen?

[Conceptual]

Time for TATA to entre F1!

What? It's a possibility! lol

That being said, what with the growing Indian Economy one could imagine TATA contemplating it, even if just to challenge FIF1.

Its unlikely I know, but hey. Just me being "out there". Wishful thinking would suggest that the Lotus, Minardi, Tyrell or Brabham names to re-appear (or Andrwa Moda!!! ) all of which are about as likely as me getting a drive in F1.

On a more serious note: Who knows who might end up buying them. I'd imagine Dave Richards might be interested in this. It could be anyone from the reasonable (Like Richards or ART GP) to the unreasonable: Its not beyond the relms of possibility that Richard Branson might want to rival his indian counterpart Mallya?

Who knows what could happen?

If Branson were to buy, I would immediately apply for a job. I absolutely LOVE that man's outlook on life. And being able to "test drive" one for his own thrill seeking enjoyment would probably be the deal clincher.

And lets not forget his VERY close attachment to Scaled Composites. With the R&D that Scaled does for the spaceship endeavors of Branson, I would think that they would have a very original car indeed!

Quick, someone send this across his desk ASAP!

Chris