Don't forget Stefan, looks like a full gridESPImperium wrote:Looks like we have 12 teams present now for 2010.
Lets hope that they can attend maybes a couple days of the test in Barcelona next week somehow.
An amazing story. It shows that Campos had a lot less than USF1 in terms of resources and plans under execution. Nevertheless they are being saved by new money. A crazy world.New team principal says Spanish outfit "had basically nothing"
22nd February 2010
The only department which basically exists is a software department, with eight guys who never saw an F1 car in their lives. New Campos Meta team principal Colin Kolles has admitted they are in a state of "chaos" less than three weeks before the start of the new Formula One season.
The former Midland and Spyker boss, who parted ways with the Silverstone-based outfit after Vijay Mallya took control and rebranded them Force India, was handed the role after chief shareholder José Ramón Carabante took over from founder Adrian Campos last week.
Kolles revealed that when he started work on the project two weeks ago, he found "basically nothing" in terms of facilities and said that the team would have to seek a temporary base with Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara - who are building their car - in the meantime.
"For two weeks I'm sleeping two hours a night," he told adamcooperf1.com. "It's the most incredible time.
"I push more and more, and I'm not giving it up until I'm there. I want to succeed in bringing the team on the grid, and to survive the year and to stabilise it and then to build it up."
Crazy
Revealing the true extent of the team's lack of preparedness, Kolles said: "My role is to clean up the chaos! They had basically nothing, only chaos.
"The only department which basically exists is a software department, with eight guys who never saw an F1 car in their lives, and who are doing software simulation programmes.
"Then there are two or three engineers with F1 experience, and that's it. The real story is a crazy story, you understand."
He added that Campos Meta "will be based in Spain as an HQ, but for now we will operate from Dallara, for the first race, and we'll see.
"At mid-term it will definitely be in Spain. The team will be based in Murcia. We have to build up a state-of-the-art factory, wind tunnel and everything."
Kolles has set the team a target of making the grid in Bahrain on March 14 but admitted it would be "amazing" if they actually delivered.
"We will have two cars in Bahrain. I don't know how we will have them, and I don't care, but we will have two cars on the grid," he said.
"If this is going to be achieved, I think this is one of the most amazing things, I tell you. They had nothing. They had one empty workshop with nothing inside..."
Rescue
Brazilian Bruno Senna signed a contract to race for Campos Meta, although Kolles admitted that having two paying drivers join might help them shore up their finances.
"It's very clear that we need a budget to rescue the team," he said. "At Jordan [in 2005] we also had to start with pay drivers, and then it developed. After four years you have full professional drivers.
"When the team is performing and the team is efficient, then it is on a second page."
We certainly don't know that USF1 are any better than that at all. Progress says not. Believe it or not, that's actually better organisation than USF1 because they actually have a car built by Dallara and potentially resources available there. Put simply, that's why they're getting any money.WhiteBlue wrote:An amazing story. It shows that Campos had a lot less than USF1 in terms of resources and plans under execution. Nevertheless they are being saved by new money. A crazy world.
in this very situation it is only normal to do so,if he manages to get the cars to the race he will be hero ,even if the cars and team will be a disaster in that event.Giblet wrote:Look Mr.Windsor. Look how Mr.Kolles just admits straight up there is a problem. Chavski to the rescue.
Novel idea huh?
It's easier admitting a problem when you've not caused it, I'm sure you agree, Giblet.Giblet wrote:Look Mr.Windsor. Look how Mr.Kolles just admits straight up there is a problem.
This, at least, shows that they're relying on some Campos lower formulae staff. Come on, that's surely, at least, a similar structure to Virgin. All design has been comissioned to an external entity and you have no windtunnel or design staff. Manor probably had already some composite experience and may have actually fabricated the car, but that's the only difference.WhiteBlue wrote:Campos boss admits 'chaos'"Then there are two or three engineers with F1 experience, and that's it. The real story is a crazy story, you understand."
That could be Kolles going for a different plan than the one from Adrian Campos. The absence of design and manufacturing team could mean that they planned to leave to Dallara the development of the car and future designs. It's nothing that Audi isn't doing for many years and winning Le Mans with it.WhiteBlue wrote:Campos boss admits 'chaos'"At mid-term it will definitely be in Spain. The team will be based in Murcia. We have to build up a state-of-the-art factory, wind tunnel and everything."
Magnificent white knight? More likely a vertically challenged dirty old man with a taste for 50 years younger women.Luca the Horse Wisperer@Maranello wrote:As for the twelfth team, Campos Meta, its shareholder and management structure has been transformed, according to rumours which have reached the Horse Whisperer through the paddock telegraph, with a sudden cash injection from a munificent white knight, well used to this sort of last minute rescue deal. However, the beneficiaries of this generosity might find the knight in question expects them to fulfil the role of loyal vassal. All this means, it is hard to imagine the Dallara designed car showing its face at the Catalunya Circuit, with Sakhir a more likely venue to witness the return of the Senna name to a Formula 1 session.
Motorsport.com/GMM wrote:Campos Meta 1 intends to change its name to Hispania Racing F1 Team before the start of the 2010 season next weekend.
Jose Ramon Carabante, who had already been the team president, took over the outfit from former Minardi driver Adrian Campos last month.
Grupo Hispania is the name of 57-year-old Spaniard Carabante's company.
The Spanish newspaper Diario AS said the name change, which must be approved formally by the sport's authorities, will be unveiled officially on Thursday in the Spanish city of Murcia.
It is believed the event could also see the unveiling of the Dallara-built car's livery and the announcement of Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok as its drivers.
France's Auto Hebdo said the former Prost, Sauber and Honda engineer Jacky Eeckelaert, who worked with new team boss Colin Kolles at Le Mans last year, will also be revealed as being a part of the team.
Hispania was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula, including modern-day Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar and some of France.
What will be on the menu?exepm wrote:the team lunch will be on thursday.
