http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/1...hey-have-purchased-marussia8217s-banbury-base The Haas F1 Team have confirmed they have purchased Marussia’s Banbury base Team still on course to enter Formula 1 in 2016 By William Esler. Last Updated: 10/03/15 4:23pm please log in to view this image The Haas F1 Team have confirmed they have purchased Marussia’s Banbury base and have named ex- Ferrari and Red Bull staff in key positions. Haas are set to enter F1 in 2016 and were keen to supplement their North Carolina factory with a European base for logistical purposes. They have also appointed Dave O’Neill as team manager, Rob Taylor as chief designer and Ben Agathangelou as chief aerodynamicist. O’Neill is well experienced in the role of team manager having held the position at Jordan between 1998 and 2005, before moving to A1GP and latterly Marussia. “O’Neill’s experience is quite valuable to Haas F1 Team, for his task upon joining Manor was to set up a Formula 1 team in six months,” the team said in a statement. “Recruitment of personnel, the purchase of equipment and infrastructure, oversight of car design and supplier selection were just a few of O’Neill’s many duties.” He is joined at Haas by Taylor who was senior design team leader at McLaren from 2006 until 2010 having previously been head of vehicle design for Red Bull. Taylor has also worked for Ferrari, Arrows and Benetton during a long F1 career. Agathangelou also joins with a wealth of experience having been head of aerodynamics at Red Bull between 2002 and 2007 and also worked on the design and development of the current IndyCar chassis. The Sky Sports F1 Digital Team will be providing live commentary from all four days of the final pre-season test in Barcelona. Sky Sports News HQ will also have live updates from trackside.
Manor have moved back to yorkshire. I presume they got a bit of extra finance after selling the Banbury HQ.
The FIA has opened the tender process for a new team to join the F1 grid from as early as next season. Citing “due regard for the sustainability and future success of the Formula One World Championship”, the sport’s governing body is looking for a new team to enter the championship at either the start of the 2016 or 2017 season. After the demise of Caterham over the winter, the grid consists of just 10 teams in 2015 – although Haas F1 are gearing up to make their F1 debut next year after coming through the FIA’s previous tender process in 2013-14.
Realistically, unless they push through customer cars for next season, can any new team get finance raised, a car designed, built and tested in time for the start of 2016?
I hope the FIA included that they will do absolutely nothing / actively help Bernie to screw over any new team once they are in the sport.
Ultimately thus is where F1 has to go to be sustainable. Surely spending 40/50 million a year on a full customer car is more viable than spending the same amount and producing a Marussia or Caterham? The only issue is that conflicts with the definition of what a constructor is.
I think they have eased the regulations somewhat to allow teams to buy minor components, haven't they? Things like wheel nuts shouldn't need designing.
Customer cars are a safer option IMO. No point starting up a team and flapping about possibly behind the Manors.
Customer cars for First year only is acceptable but afterwards they have to build own or modify. I don't think anybody will have a problem with that.
