The first F1 team to reveal a design for the 2010 F1 season is Lola – even though it doesn’t have a place on the grid.
Lola applied for one of the three places on the 2010 F1 grid offered by the FIA earlier this year – but was turned down in favour of applications from USF1, Campos Meta 1 and Manor Motorsport.
Racecar Engineering snapped this picture of the team’s 50% scale model at a publicity event for the Silverstone 1,000km sports car race, in which Lola’s Aston Martin-powered cars are competing.
The model has already had ten days in a wind tunnel. However some parts of its design look fairly basic, such as the uncomplicated front wing.
Lola are hoping to land a place on the F1 calendar for 2011. But when they’re already this far down the road to getting a car on the track for next year, you have to wonder why they weren’t offered an entry in the first place.
The model is designated B10/30. Lola’s last, unsuccessful, attempt to compete in F1 was in 1997 with the T97/30. It failed to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix that year and was never seen again after the funding behind the project collapsed.
Read more
Image (C) Racecar Engineering, reproduced with permission
Steve_P
9th September 2009, 21:56
Lola should have been given an entry. Still find it hard to believe they didn’t.
HounslowBusGarage
9th September 2009, 21:59
Hmm. Producing a car without a series to race it in?
I followed the link and read this bit with interest
If they sold it to two of the new teams, or even to an existing team and a new team. Would that be a ‘customer car’?
Rabi
10th September 2009, 3:35
I thought it was ‘customer car’ if the team that designed it were also competing in the same series?
sato113
9th September 2009, 22:03
it’s looks like it’s just a display model to me keith. looks too simple to be anything proper.
Bigbadderboom
9th September 2009, 22:12
Agreed very basic, but hey I would love to see them on the grid, great name in motorsport.
Chaz
9th September 2009, 22:08
er ok…!?
Wesley
9th September 2009, 22:43
Looks alot like the Brawn.
ajokay
9th September 2009, 23:55
Pretty good design to base it on if you ask me.
Fer no. 65
10th September 2009, 2:59
not if it’s cold…
Eric
11th September 2009, 11:25
I agree with the Brawn comment. The sidepods look almost exactly the same
Brian
9th September 2009, 23:51
I really want an Aston-Martin powered car on the grid. None of this Cosworth junk.
Prisoner Monkeys
10th September 2009, 0:25
I’m reasonably sure Aston Martin don’t build their own engines. After all, Dave Richards was really pushing to get Mercedes engines for the Prodrive outfit because then they’d be able to use Mercedes engines in Aston Martin road cars.
Michel S.
10th September 2009, 6:30
Aston Martin used to be the sister car to Jaguar, but now that they have been sold, I *do* wonder what engine they’d use in the future.
DGR-F1
10th September 2009, 7:55
I’d had the impression it was the other way round – that Aston Martin cars would be sourcing Mercedes engines as a way towards a deal for any future F1 collaboration.
SoLiD
10th September 2009, 0:31
why not a good partner for torro rosso?
Lustigson
10th September 2009, 11:21
That’s not a bad suggestion, actually…
IDR
10th September 2009, 12:28
I’m afraid Christian Horner, will not be very happy if Red Bull cannot share with Toro Rosso, Adrian Newey’s salary and related expenses.
Sam Collins
10th September 2009, 0:42
Yeah this is a real model, Lola did admit that the one shown was not in its latest iteration.
Lots more pictures up now – see this link
Yukirin Boy
10th September 2009, 0:42
I think you answered your own question.
Why were they not chosen? Because they made such a failure last time out with the dreadful Mastercard Lola that never even survived to race 2.
Would the FIA accept another Andrea Moda or Forti or Life?
Michel S.
10th September 2009, 6:32
If the Cosworth engine is as much of a dud as some fear, then the FIA has not only accepted, they have been *responsible* for putting three teams in such situations in the first place.
wasiF1
10th September 2009, 2:26
They deserve a place if BMW Sauber failed then may be they will enter.
Meander
10th September 2009, 3:54
It does look like a Brawn! With a Red Bull nose cone.
Gman
10th September 2009, 7:07
Great article, but what I don’t understand is that the reports I got after the entry list was announced said that Lola had pulled the plug on their F1 operation completely. If that was the case, why are they apparently still forging ahead with plans for 2011?
I would also like to see the name in F1- no problem at all with the three new entires, so let’s cut the three-car Ferrari nonsnse and let a few more teams in :)
Mussolini's Pet Cat
10th September 2009, 9:22
Looks like the IKEA logo!! Imagine that, IKEA F1. Bernie would sure love that for cost cutting reasons, the car arrives at each venue flat-packed, and the team can only use an allen key to assemble it…..
Mussolini's Pet Cat
10th September 2009, 15:05
Oh, Keith you’ve changed the title picture. That makes my comment look quite mad!
Tom Watson
10th September 2009, 16:49
I saw the old title picture and will give your joke the laugh that it deserves :-)
Mussolini's Pet Cat
10th September 2009, 19:38
thanks Tom
Kayleigh
10th September 2009, 10:25
I’m glad they’ve done this, shows they’ve learnt from last time where they put a car together over winter and entered a year earlier than intended. This way can do lots of testing and enter prepared (not that its done Toyota much good), incase they can get an entry in 2011.
graham228221
10th September 2009, 11:55
Doesn’t look like they’ve gone for a double decker diffuser.
They are being banned for 2010 by the FIA, right?
ajokay
10th September 2009, 12:54
Maybe their lining themselves up for Renault’s space after they get kicked out.
John H
10th September 2009, 20:54
Most definitely.
I wonder if Piquet has a seat there :)
Mike "the bike" Schumacher
10th September 2009, 21:42
C’mon……. Lola return with cosworth power and Adam Caroll behind the wheel!