Stefan GP to test two drivers in February

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Stefan GP have announced they are sending race equipment to the first round of the championship at Bahrain – even though they don’t have an entry for the 2010 championship yet.

A statement on their site says:

SGP becomes the first team in F1 history who [sent] a 40 foot container full of equipment to the race in Bahrain without having entry for 2010 season!
Stefan GP statement

The team announced last week it has a deal with Toyota Motorsport to receive technical support.

With the entry list unlikely to expand, they must feel fairly confident that one of the new 2010 teams will not make it to the first race.

Update: In a further statement Stefan GP claim they will launch their car on February 25th in Portugal and will test two drivers, one of which “has already two years in F1.”

That could potentially mean Toyota-backed Kazuki Nakajima, former Toro Rosso pilot Sebastien Bourdais or potentially Nelson Piquet Jnr, though the latter is now racing in NASCAR.

Stefan GP

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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102 comments on “Stefan GP to test two drivers in February”

  1. But which suckers will they get to turn up as drivers?

    1. That Ex-Toyota chassis will be a half decent car straight out of the box. You couldn’t say that for any of the other ‘newbies’.

      1. Pardon? Toyota? A decent chassis?

        Maybe that’s who Ralf Schumacher is going to drive for – Team #2 to sign ‘the wrong Schumacher’ :D

        1. Remember, that the chief aero guy at Toyota, is now at Ferrari, and has taken knowledge of a defuser with a hole in it, the size of an A3 sheet of paper. If that’s the case, the Toyota, may well be an excellent car… esp for a turn key operation.

    2. They’ve been linked with Kazuki Nakajima

      1. Then they deserve to fail.

    3. Heidfeld and Nakajima w with the Toyota isnt bad at all.

      1. It is if they’re not allowed to race. Who is going to sign with a team who has no position on the grid? Especially when there are other seats still open, and other series to race in. They are relying on teams to withdraw AND the FIA to say ok. The first may happen if we (the public) are unlucky, but even if the first happens it doesn’t mean the second will.

        Stefan GP can speculate and hope, but they’re going to be the most ridiculed team in history if they just turn up at Bahrain expecting to be allowed out without a position on the grid.

        1. It’s going to be a rerun of the imfamous Andrea Moda from 1992!

          1. Why not have 28 cars though? Some other high level racing categories have at least 28 if not more, so why not F1? With limited testing who, other than mid pack/backmarker teams will give most rookies a shot?

            If the team are ok then let ’em race. Surely it would be easy to claim this and that about how good you are when all you have to do is test, but to commit to a full F1 schedule?

            Let ’em in. Just stipulate that if they want in NO RALF!!!!!

        2. Take it easy,mate,Serbian Team will be on the greed in Bahrain… ;)
          Cheers!

  2. Will they be allowed to test and then race there?

  3. Maybe Milos Pavlovic will be with the team?

  4. I heard they were going to do a race ticket lottery at Bahrain, draw two numbers out and get two crowd members to drive….

    1. If I were choosing a car from any of the ‘new’ teams, that would be the car that I’d choose.

      1. I’d have to agree, but they’re leaving it a little late to get drivers. Unless they have drivers who have agreed to race if they get a slot, but not announced them.

        They have some confidence shipping it all over there that some teams arn’t going to make it.

  5. Well they don’t give up do they :P

    1. Zoran Stefanovic is about as tenacious as Simon Gillett… and we all know what happened to him!

      But if Stefan F1 does materialise, I reckon they’ll be my new favourite team. They’re hialrious… I reckon their PR department might actually use google translate for their English press releases!

      1. I think thats half the beauty. Completely serious broken English.

        I’m gunning for these guys all the way.

        1. haha, yes me too, i like theses guys, their never say die attitude and their pr department are oddball… great stuff

      2. You might have a point there.
        I’m imagining a cross between Borat and Alexander Orlov (apologies to non-UK readers).

        1. Although if you look at the picture, there’s a striking resemblance to Dara O’Braian…

      3. Yeah I reckon Borat may well be their PR man

        By the way I’ve just read my original comment again, and I admit it was hypocrtical of me to criticise Stefan F1’s English when I can’t even spell the word ‘hilarious’ properly…

  6. bring pre qualifying back!!!! :P

    1. Screw that, just add them in. There’s room for 28 cars. It’ll be fine.

      1. and in monaco?

        1. Its fine, the back of the grid will be just in front of pole sitter.

        2. They might have to extend the pitlane into the Mediteranean as well

          1. Maybe someone will start the race in Rascasse…

  7. Sounds like they’re expecting a shout out to the Bahrain crowd on Friday: “We’re two cars short, anyone who’s come along today with a fully operational Grand Prix team, get your tyres on, you’re racing”…

    Someone tried this with the old Prost cars didn’t they – I think they called themselves Phoenix.

    1. The people who picked up the assets of the Prost team were indeed called Phoenix and, I think, linked to Tom Walkinshaw.

      They hadn’t realised they were just buying the equipment, not Prost’s entry.

      Andrea Moda did the same thing back in 1992, i.e. they bought Coloni’s equipment but not its entry.

    2. I’m turing up at Bahrain with my Helmet, gloves and boots in case the call comes out; has anyone here brought their kit.. and it’ll be race to see whether me or Anthony davidson gets their first..

  8. Ah, the Stefan GP story just gets more crazy as time goes on.

    Good to know though. Even if the new teams all make it to Bahrain, there’s no guarantee they’ll be around for 19 races. Might be helpful to have a mid-season replacement at short notice.

    But if Stefan GP are actually ready then ideally they should be “accommodated” somehow, even if everyone else turns up, but I doubt that would happen.

  9. Accidental Mick
    2nd February 2010, 12:54

    I have obviously missed s point here. Did they annouce what engine they would be using?

    1. Apparently they’ve bought some old Toyota engines along with the chassis, according to one of the links here.

      1. From a corolla, they still think they can beat Renault.. (which is using an old clio engine)

  10. If Stefan GP have gone to all the trouble of sending equipment to Bahrain are they actually planning to do any pre season testing? The Autosport report said if they don’t race this year they plan to test instead but didn’t mention pre season testing.

    1. Presumably they plan to pre-season test in Bahrain.

  11. Well can’t knock em for their persistance. But with Tony Teixeira backing Campos now, don’t see there being an available berth for Stefan GP. Shame really.

    @matty55 Pre-quali would be fun, but with the cost of this sport these days, doubt anyone can afford to run a team that might not get to race some weekends.

    1. “with Tony Teixeira backing Campos now” – has that been confirmed?

    2. Your probably right. I’d say if the 1994 season was replayed in 2010 Pacific wouldve probably quit half way through the season.

  12. It’s prolly just an empty container shipped as a joke. Or some ploy to get sponsors and investors for a nonexistant team

  13. Again, are they just hopelessly optimistic or do they know something we don’t?

    1. Either Zoran Stefanovich is totally crazy, or there is something big moving in the darkness, and we fans are groping in the dark. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING!

  14. No photos? No rumors? if Stefan GP is ready to race, why aren’t there any photos?
    If everything is true, please mr Stefanovic, let us to see your car and your team.
    FIA please adds this team as reserve!!!! :-D

    1. I think it’s just a container full of Toyota parts at this point. Why the hell did USF1 not buy the Toyota chassis…too much American pride from a Brit???

      1. Probably the deal came with all sorts of strings attached, like a requirement to keep on a certain number of Toyota staff – or even to move part of the outfit to Cologne. The new teams were not in a position to do that.

  15. This is like something out of a soap opera! I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in the meeting where they decided to fly their equipment to Bahrain:

    “Let’s just fly our stuff to Bahrain! If we are there, they can’t not let us race!”\

    I sense a NPJ and Seb Bourdais comeback… lol!

    1. Mabye Bernie will just lock them out of the paddock… that’s what he did to Super Aguri back at the 2008 Turkish GP

  16. Well thats just a cheap Advertisement. Shipping a Container is cheap those days. And everyone is discussing about this Arms Dealers pasttime.

  17. Zoran Stefanovic is Andrea Sassetti reincarnated!

    Not all is bad I guess. Its nice to see the return of hairbrained idiots trying to run a Formula 1 team as bad as they can. Purely just to provide some comic relief.

  18. I cant imagine the owners faces if it was a helicoptor that dropped the container off with stefan go on it and buffered off.
    I would be happy if stefan gp won the race.

  19. Is Campos Meta out?

  20. Can not decide whether to consider this a gimmick or a clever ploy to put pressure on USF1 & Campos as well as their backers/sponsors.
    Is this Stefan guy a clown or what? OK, I am so desperate to own a team in F1 that I ship stuff to races without an invite or an entry!

  21. Good on them :) Hope they take Bruno along :)

  22. Toyota were rumoured to have built a radical diffuser for their 2010 car just like mclaren…if they did manage to get hold of it…then we might see them challenging for points if they’re allowed to race..

    1. Mouse_Nightshirt
      2nd February 2010, 19:01

      Yeah, but the designer went to Ferrari and took the idea with him. The Ferrari has a much more developed “ex-toyota” diffuser than Stefan would have.

  23. He looks determined, come on FIA do the right thing let them officially enter!!

  24. The 2010 season keeps getting better and better!

  25. Ralf Schumacher and Bruno Senna might be their standby drivers :)

  26. Giuliano Vilela
    2nd February 2010, 14:34

    Piquet Jr. declared in an interview that he was offered a SGP seat last year. I wonder if he’ll be at Bahrain too :D

    1. He may be in one of the boxes :-)

      1. Mouse_Nightshirt
        2nd February 2010, 19:01

        Hopefully it’ll fall out of plane or get lost then…

  27. Good Luck Stefan GP! would be funny if they actually are on the grid in Bahrain just by pure luck and determination!

  28. The procedure for granting Stefan GP a grid slot will be more complicated than simply, “Campos hasn’t turned up, so there you go.” Such a late change would have to be agreed by all the teams and the FIA, which would not happen – firstly because some of the teams may not be too happy about a new team turning up with a car that promises to be reasonably competitive and taking away points/prize money; and secondly because of the involvement of Mike Coughlan in Stefan GP, which would almost certainly be a sticking point with the FIA.

    The only way Stefan GP could feasibly enter F1 at such short notice would be to purchase Campos outright, but then the team would continue to be known as Campos, existing contracts may have to be honoured, and the team would have to find sufficient funds to make a purchase. Plus if Teixeira has already bought the team then it is not even going to be on the market.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      2nd February 2010, 23:31

      If Teixeira has bought the team, they may have no choice but to put it back on the market. He owes Ferrari a lot of money or the engine deal with A1GP, and the teams are said to be very hesitant to let him in.

    2. good comment. Furthermore I think Campos, come to that point, would still be a member of FOTA (where all decisions are taken by 100% agreement of all members)

      2+2 always= 4 in spite of who are Bernie’s friends.

      Let Campos live and prosper or die, but don’t interfere old man

  29. If I was a third driver for a team, like say Heidfield, I’d be on my best behaviour and hoping that another team goes down.

    Pick me miss!

  30. [bquote] But my sources suggest that what has happened is that they recruited a new head of aerodynamics from Toyota in December and he brought a solution for a radical new diffuser with a hole the size of a sheet of A3 paper! It’s worth a lot in extra downforce and so Ferrari may well be building an update package around it, possibly for the first race if they can build it in time.[/bquote]

    Tinfoil hat time people, the above is taken from James Allen… and if Ferrari have a Toyota diffuser the size of an A3 sheet of paper, then so does the Stefan… hence it could be a really good car in terms of flooring.

    1. Funny how when Allen was on TV he was universally derided. And now he’s some sort of oracle whose every word is gospel…

      1. I think the general view on James Allen seems to be that he is a good F1 journalist and was a good pit lane reporter for ITV it was just his race commentating that people didn’t like.

      2. No one questions his insider know how, the guy is well liked by the powers that be at F1, its just hearing him go berserk is embarrassing to say the least.

    2. but more to the point stephan don’t have a 2010 grid slot :)

  31. I would love to see the 14th team for Stefan GP, but definitely not one of the three new teams being taken away/unable to make it to the grid.

    FOTA have all teams’ consent to grant Stefan GP an entry and Bernie please fund the 3 new teams some money-boost.

    The more the merrier the F1 racing will be. 28 cars will be just nice!

  32. hey, look at http://www.stefangp.com/news007.html

    “First tests for StefanGP will be in Portugal at Portimao test track, on 25-28 February 2010.

    StefanGP first Formula 1 car Stefan S-01 will be presented before tests. SGP Team will be testing with two drivers over three days.

    Identity of drivers will be announced in due course. First driver has already two years in F1.”

    Piquet?, Bourdais?

    1. the-muffin-man
      2nd February 2010, 17:13

      Good to see they’ve not blown their budget on fancy logos and web designers!!!

      :)

      1. Or people who can speak proper English… :P

    2. Same number of points as Piquet last year.

      Hope the gas pedal works in those Toyotas…

    3. Jean Denis Delatraz.

      And the comeback is complete!

    4. Jarred Walmsley
      3rd February 2010, 4:40

      Nakajima?

  33. Crazy indeed. Whatever happen, just change that name Zoran – Stefan GP sounds … too funny, especially amongst the Slavic people :P

  34. Managed to get a quick chat with Zoran Stefanovic. Some more info here: Stefan GP believe two teams in trouble

  35. It could be Anthony Davidson, hes really only had two years proper in F1. (he had 3 retirements, 0 finishes before the super augri days)

  36. Aw I love them, they’re so determined!

  37. STRFerrari4Ever
    2nd February 2010, 19:48

    Great to see them continuing to push for a place on the 2010 grid I hope that they make it because it would be a shame to not see that Toyota car run in the 2010 season because its predecessor the TF109 had some great aero.

    If Stefanovich wants success he’d better look around for some free drivers that have talent and potential Nakajima? I don’t think so Kazuki never really showed anything that would point to him being a consistent points and podium finisher.

    I’d hope for Heidfeld to join the team as the lead driver but since he’s the 3rd driver for Mercedes it seems unlikely unless Mercedes are like Ferrari and allow him to drive for another team or in a different series.

    But I’m just hoping Sato jumps at this opportunity and makes it stick I’d love for Takuma to be back in F1 he was just awesome his speed, mistakes & super aggression I mean no one else compared to him! :D

  38. The driver with 2 years experience is Kazuki Najkajima. He WILL be signed by them if they get entry, it is part of the Toyota package. Even if hes crap

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      2nd February 2010, 23:03

      Don’t forget, Nakajima actually did fairly well throughout 2008.

  39. Kaz was linked with a Toyota move from early on in the season, and after Toyota pulled out, Yoshiaki said he would support him and Kobayashi as much as possible. Also, If one of the two teams in question (Campos/USF1) dont make it, those 2 announced drivers will be out of a race slot. And with toyota claiming , before their exit, that they wanted an all new fresh line for 2010, Senna may find himself a race seat in a potentially much better racer. (i think USF1 will work it out).

    If Stefan GP line up this year, they will deffinatly field Senna and Nakajima

  40. If they do make it by some miracle, and stranger things have happened, i will be defiantly cheering them on, they bring a ‘last of the summer wine’ kind of quality or ‘the hangover’ quality to F1.
    Wheres our car?… What Bahrain! how did that happen?!

  41. Coughlan and Dave Ryan, and Stefanovic who challenged the team selection process last year; as Red Andy’s already mentioned, surely the FIA would find a reason to stop these old favourites returning to F1.

    They just need Piquet, Symonds and Briatore now to complete the dream team.

  42. Something I just stumbled across on the Stefan GP website…

    “Slightly advantage if you are ex Toyota F1!”

    Interesting… :)

  43. I have sent a container to wee Bernie’s house as I think he will pull out in 2010 as well. I’m in first…

  44. Talking of Bernie, I hear he’s pushing for SGP – with Ralf as one of the drivers.

  45. Come on Stepan…

  46. GP Update is running a story on Ecclestone supporting Stepan GP with driver Ralf Schumacher and Nakajima.
    The jokes were not far off, it seems!

    What a mess is this “selection proces”, if it turns out they really do get to race this year.

    1. is Bernie trying to tell us something , this Stefan seems to be determined in his approach maybe he knows something we don’t !.
      Campos seem to be in trouble but usf1 give the impression they have a bit more going on .

  47. It was rumored this week that Stefan GP had purchased the rights to the Dallara chassis even thought they have the 2010 Toyota chassis. The intent was to prevent Campos Meta from acquiring a chassis even if they did come up with the cash. This move seems incredibly shrewd for a fledgling F1 team owner who is just now getting his feet wet. This, if I am honest, smells of Bernie Ecclestone’s work. Ecclestone was quick to praise Stefan GP and denigrate USF1 and Campos Meta this week. You do the math. He’s actually been bad mouthing USF1 for months. Looks to me that Bernie gives a rats ass about the American market and is bent on insuring the USF1 fails. Lots of integrity in F1.

  48. Personally,I don’t want Stefan Gp to make it on to the grid.And the reason is so that the personal and the drivers and the mechanics can keep their dignity.People will make a joke about them.That a Serbian team is on the grid.It will be a blow to morale.Also,they need way more preperation.You can’t go in to F1.Brawn may have came within 3 weeks,but they had backing from Honda.Honda had been building the car for over a year.Even when the team wasn’t even started,they were still working.And they were run by Ross Brawn who has many powerful links in F1.And Brawn already had 2 drivers.Stefan has no drivers and the ones that most likely will race is Ralf Schumacher who hasn’t raced a f1 car for 2 years and when he was racing,he wasn’t that good.And people will make jokes about been the wrong Schumacher.This won’t be good for getting sponsorship.Nakajima is a poor option as well.He was poor up against Rosberg and looks poor as an overall driver.And Bourdais,he is a good racing driver but he finds it difficult in F1.A Champ car is different thing to a F1 car.
    Stefan should wait a year orso before making their debut so they have a chance.

    1. Well,Stefan GP,probably will be on the greed in Bahrain,so don’t be nervous… :)

  49. oops,sorry about that!

  50. First visit the AMCO web site and then leave a comment.Zoran produces parts for Space industry,F1 cars and aeronautical industry……….

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