Scorpion Racing F1 Team

[Coefficient]

Will it happen? Who are SCORPION RACING? Who could be called up to race at a moments notice should they miraculously be granted an entry for this year?

[Rhodium]

A group of Canadian and American investors are pushing to try and secure HRT's entry slot in Formula 1, AUTOSPORT can reveal, but they may have to wait until 2014 before being allowed to join the grid.

Sources have revealed that negotiations to purchase the HRT company and secure an entry are at an advanced stage, and the plan for a team known as Scorpion Racing appears to have the blessing of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

However, AUTOSPORT understands that the FIA believes the 12th entry slot for 2013 was closed off when it was informed at the end of last season that HRT had been liquidated.

Although the governing body is aware of the plans for Scorpion Racing, it does not appear to have any intention of making a special case to allow another team in for 2013 because the entry deadline closed last November.


The investors behind Scorpion Racing are hoping to complete due diligence of the buy-out plans in the next few days.

That means the viability of their plans should become clearer by the end of the week.

Scorpion is hoping to run its effort from a facility at Silverstone, using updated HRT F112 cars that will be powered by Cosworth engines and use a Williams gearbox.

AUTOSPORT has learned that discussions have taken place with Ecclestone about the idea, and he indicated to the outfit in a letter last weekend that if its takeover of the HRT assets was complete then it should get an entry to F1.

Ecclestone wrote to the Scorpion Racing investors saying: "Have you bought the HRT company? Because if you have, they [the FIA] would be accepting you."

It is not clear if there is any mechanism for Scorpion to secure a place on the grid if it can convince the FIA that it has the funding and technical capability to compete in 2013.

i don't think they are on grid this year...
why not for next saison ?

[turbof1]

I think not entering this year is for the best; next year are big changes and most of the teams are already fully preparing for that one. As a new team applying for this year you first of all would need to rush to get basic operations up and running, finding sufficient crew and most of all assemble a car able to both survive the, for this year even more stringent, crash tests and the 107% rule. Remember that the old hrt chassis had to do the crash test twice the previous years; the same chassis will certainly not pass from the first time this year. Throughout the year the team needs to divert resources between getting to races and building their team further; practically nothing remains for developing the 2014 car.

Applying for 2014 gives them a full year to prepare, which still isn't that much time given it took marussia and caterham 3 years to be fully operational, but it's still a whole lot bettter then nothing.

[Lurk]

+1.

Plus HRT ended 2012 short on replacement parts so by buying HRT, you still have nothing to run a car...

[beelsebob]

I don't understand what's to be gained buying HRT. They have two cars that are out of spares, and won't be legal in 2014 anyway. The chassis will need to be redesigned to mate to a new engine. They have a bunch of designs which are likely dodgy legally due to HRT's habit of screwing people over and not paying them. Even if the designs are in the clear legally, they're not really much better than a GP2 car. I'd think that setting yourself off by buying a decently successful, still running, GP2 team would actually give you a better basis. It would give you a bunch of competent engineers, and people who understood how to build a good car. You can go forward for 2014 from there reasonably.

[Pup]

Pirelli has already prevented one Canadian company from calling themselves "Scorpion Racing", so I doubt they'd be too keen on an F1 team of that name.

If these guys haven't even done that small amount of due diligence, then I think it's safe to assume that they're about as real as StephanGP.

[Lurk]

@beelsebob : IMO, HRT buying is just a move to please Bernie (at least try to) and gain HRT entry slot, even if they didn't pay their 2013 entry fee.

[Neno]

I don't understand what's to be gained buying HRT. They have two cars that are out of spares, and won't be legal in 2014 anyway. The chassis will need to be redesigned to mate to a new engine. They have a bunch of designs which are likely dodgy legally due to HRT's habit of screwing people over and not paying them. Even if the designs are in the clear legally, they're not really much better than a GP2 car. I'd think that setting yourself off by buying a decently successful, still running, GP2 team would actually give you a better basis. It would give you a bunch of competent engineers, and people who understood how to build a good car. You can go forward for 2014 from there reasonably.

Maybe they want to buy their factory? If getting HRT cars go in deal for buying factory i dont see why wouldn't they.

[raymondu999]

Wasn't the factory on lease, and defaulted?

[KATO]

Wasn't the factory on lease, and defaulted?

http://f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_co ... Itemid=157
The Factory won't be an issue since they want to be Silverstone based its in this article haven't read the other ones..
This is another article on the same thing..

Scorpion Racing a Canadian American team would do the sport well having a team from the U.S. actively supporting the sport might prompt some more people to support F1 in the US.

It think its a plus I hope they make it.
If they do indeed just take the 2012 HRT car and create a small evolution of it they would not challenge Caterham or Marussia but it would provide them with a solid starting point.. Before truly entering F1 in the 2014 season maybe with a stronger engine perhaps an American one like GM or Ford powered and become an ambassador of the sport in the US.. I think it's a great idea that they might save the few bits and peaces worth Saving.. I know HRT is a huge underdog but if its one thing Americans like is an underdog team.. they would be able to acquire good drivers too "IF" they come late into the sport they can get guys like; Bruno Senna ,Algersuari ,Glock to name a few..

I can see this team with a strong fanbase in the US..
Maybe in 2014 with a stronger engine..

[FW17]

A Japanese manufacturer will be the most to gain by teaming with an american team, the american name will get them the american sales and japanese name will give them the rest of the visibility to the rest of the world

Bernie should be really looking to poach an indycar/nascar team to really get a firm US footing

[Gridlock]

Bernie should be really looking to poach an indycar/nascar team to really get a firm US footing

I wonder what it costs to run a top-3 indy/nascar team for a year.

If the answer is anywhere near even Sauber's budget I'd be very, very surprised.

[Lurk]

Villeneuve needed something like 20M$ to run a single car some years ago.
A top 3 NASCAR team is certainly far more costly, and has 3-4 cars to operate.

Don't know about IndyCar..


edit: Pre-CoT figures
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-raci ... -cost2.htm
$25M for main sponsor, let's say 2 $5M secondary sponsors: $35M dollars for 65-70% cost covering. So $50M per car.
2 cars should be very close to Sauber budget.

[FW17]

edit: Pre-CoT figures
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-raci ... -cost2.htm
$25M for main sponsor, let's say 2 $5M secondary sponsors: $35M dollars for 65-70% cost covering. So $50M per car.
2 cars should be very close to Sauber budget.

So much for F1 being pinnacle of motor sport

Every bit of F1 (other than cars, drivers and races) are over hyped and over estimated. Reminds me of nokia vs apple

[Lurk]

36(?) races vs 19-20 races and estimated budget for 2 cars and a team like Hendrick was still a third or a fourth of what McLaren or Ferrari budget were at the same time (CoT appeared in 2008 I think).