Super Aguri : buyout / collapse

[checkered]

They say that the costs and the Max Mosely orgy make F1 unattractive to them...

Of course one

might ask, why say anything at all if they have absolutely no interest anyway? On the other hand, I don't think I'd be too enthusiastic about a team that starts off by lamenting the cost of participating without reflecting on the possible income and advantages.

[SMP]

How crazy an idea would it be for teams to go public and offer shares on the stock market to raise funds?

[bhall]

It's not a crazy idea at all. BMW, Ferrari (through FIAT), Honda, Mercedes (through Daimler AG), Renault and Toyota are all publicly traded companies. In effect, shareholders of those companies also own shares of their respective F1 teams.

[WhiteBlue]

The first requirement for an IPO would be a story involving the prospect of a nice profitability. Most F1 teams do not even come close to a black zero. Manufacturer pump 200-300 million anually into their teams. they need to improve that to make something like 20-50 mil profit depending of the size of the team before any investor would take notice.

[greenpower dude reloaded]

could they not do something similar to other teams in the past, pay a couple of quid and get your name on the side. I know it wouldn't be instant but publisised correctly could be a bit of a money spinner. I for one would do it. But then again I am rather fond of SA.

I just wish I could help them out!

-Luke

[roost89]

could they not do something similar to other teams in the past, pay a couple of quid and get your name on the side. I know it wouldn't be instant but publisised correctly could be a bit of a money spinner. I for one would do it. But then again I am rather fond of SA.

I just wish I could help them out!

-Luke

I would chuck in a wee bit aswell. I was thinking the same thing. See if the F1 supporters were able to pay enough money to get S.A. up and running properly. I'm not sure if it'd get enough money (mainly because I don't know the worldwide viewing or even support of F1)

[bar555]

All i want to say is .... bring MINARDI back

Just a dream of mine .......

[freedom_honda]

All i want to say is .... bring MINARDI back

Just a dream of mine .......

im relatively new to F1.
may i ask why every1 wants Minardi back so bad?

[WhiteBlue]

85% of the Minardi team personal are still in F1, at Toro Rosso. the brand label has gone away. people like underdogs.

[Bob Brown]

All i want to say is .... bring MINARDI back

Just a dream of mine .......

at latest, that will happen in 09.

[modbaraban]

All i want to say is .... bring MINARDI back

Just a dream of mine .......

at latest, that will happen in 09.

Is that you Paul?

[WhiteBlue]

Is it really that important for Takuma Sato to have a drive in F1? I mean, that's basically the only reason Super Aguri is on the grid.

Let 'em fold. With any luck, perhaps their spot could be filled by a financially solvent team with a mission to compete, not just to give a locally-popular driver a seat.

It is very difficult to start a team in F1. Suzuki did that and he did beat Honda in their old chassis. I would like that team to continue. In comparison the Midland and Spyker efforts were a bit disapointing.

With the prospect of having to design a chassis next year for 2010 new entrants will face an even steeper learning curve and higher financial risks. It makes good sense to save a team now that is worth saving than having to make all kind of more costly adjustments later when there are only eight teams left.

Bernie knows that. The case once again proves that the issue of entry barriers to F1 must be addressed in order to keep the sport healthy. perhaps start ups should be exempt from the constructor rule for some years. that way they can enter with a year old chassis and show if they have the talent needed to compete.

[ben_watkins]

Rumour mill..

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67022

possible season long buyout?

[WhiteBlue]

http://www.weigl-gruppe.de/1_wgroup/1_z ... m?lang=eng

I'm actually surprised it is Weigl. there is no obvious rational except that the price is very low and Weigl could be looking for a deal that makes some money later.

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news ... 42917.html

Weigl denied that they are in the market for SA

[WhiteBlue]

further to the Super Aguri story it makes sense to revisit the customer car issue.

INTERVIEW-Motor racing-A1 boss scraps plan to buy F1 team
Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:32pm BST
By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - A1 GP chairman Tony Teixeira said on Wednesday he had scrapped plans to buy a Formula One team after the sport changed its rules to ban the use of so-called 'customer cars'.

Teixeira told Reuters in an interview that A1, the self-styled World Cup of Motorsport that runs mostly during the European winter, had wanted to buy a Formula One team to promote the winners of his series.

"We wanted an A1 team in F1 where our winners from the A1 GP series would go and race in F1," he said. "The reason for that has always been that every kid's aspiration ultimately is to end up in F1."

Teixeira, whose cars will be designed and powered by Ferrari from next season, had talked to Ferrari-powered Spyker before that team were bought by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya and renamed Force India.

He then switched his attention to Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso, co-owned by Austrian energy drink billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz and former racer Gerhard Berger.

Mateschitz said last month Red Bull would sell Toro Rosso before 2010 because of the change in rules forcing all teams to design and build their own cars. Teixeira said his talks with the team ended late last year.

"We wanted to be running at the top, and that means top 10," he explained.

"The only way we were going to achieve that was with the customer cars. In other words, we were going to be the Ferrari B team and that's why I was willing to buy Toro Rosso."

PROMOTING MACHINE

"Initially it was Spyker, because I already had a deal with Ferrari and that was the biggest thing that attracted me.

"I then made way for Vijay to buy Spyker because (F1 supremo) Bernie (Ecclestone) needed India and I said 'Fine, I'll make way and look more favourably at Toro Rosso', which had a similar agreement (with Ferrari)," continued the South African businessman.

"I sat with Toro Rosso and when we were close to a deal, F1 changed the rules: No customer cars. When they changed the rules, I was through.

"As you know, Prodrive walked away," he added, referring to that British company's decision not to take up the allocated slot as Formula One's 12th team.

"That was going to be the McLaren B team. It was going to be Red Bull running with Renault, Williams with Toyota and Aguri with Honda. That makes sense to us because there was no way we could go and develop our own chassis and be competitive.

"I don't profess to have that kind of money and even if I did I wouldn't put it into F1, it would be madness," added Teixeira.

"All we were looking to do was promote A1 through F1,

Teixeira was speaking before the final round of the A1 season at Brands Hatch and with Formula One facing the possibility of losing one of its 11 teams, struggling Super Aguri, before the next grand prix in Turkey.

Super Aguri are backed by Honda, with their car a development of last year's Honda. Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing also run cars from a common design team but that will not be allowed after next year.

Teixeira said he had looked again at Super Aguri as recently as 10 days ago but could see nothing there of interest to A1.

"If the rules change, we will be the first guys to look for a team," he said.

"I think everyone knows that, Dietrich Mateschitz knows, while I have explained to Super Aguri that I can't be Honda and Ferrari.

"If the rules change, I would look for a spot in F1. If the rules don't change, there's nothing in it for us."

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

so the ugly old problem of cost in F1 with the constructor restriction in place is emerging once again as the root cause of the minor teams going broke.

it looks like something needs to be done there very soon. the only initiative curently on discussion is the F1 budget cap. but how are they going to take the cost for competing down to say 100 mil $ plus driver and management salaries. are we seriously believing this will be done?

there is the added problem that the big five manufacturer backed teams can shift some basic research for expensive new technology as KERS and HERS to the road car division to circumvent that.

wouldn't it make more sense to look into customer schemes once again? in the end the whole point of criticism was based on distribution of price money and perhaps a solution to that could be found