F1

Force India delays

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #292128
    Dan
    Participant

    Just read on yahoo that the new force India wont be available until the last of the pre season tests, does this mean the team are going to be in a similar position to Louts last year at the start of the season? Were they are affectedly using the first fly away races as a test session and don’t expect to be competitive until the European season starts.

    This might help them in a strange way as the most unusual results sometimes happen when a team has nothing to lose so take risks, there are countless examples i.e. in 2002 Webber scoring points on his debut due to first corner accident, 2010 Button wining in Melbourne after risky tyre switch. In 2007 at the European grand prix Markus Winkelhock had nothing to lose after qualifying at the back of the grid so took a risk switched tyres early and ended up leading the race.

    #292130
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    After the way Force India have acted in virtually killing off Marussia/Manor’s chances of a comeback, I really don’t care how Force India do this year – in fact I hope they don’t do well at all. And if they are in as much trouble as some say they are, I wonder if Hulkenberg’s position might be threatened – why pay a driver like him when you can sign Giedo van der Garde and have him pay you £15m instead?

    #292131
    Dan
    Participant

    If some rumors online are to be believed and they are in as much trouble, it has serious consequences for the F1 grid as another team will fail, so that potentially this year their will only be 16 cars on the grid. Bernie Ecclestone agreement with various circuits means he is legally required to provide more cars/ teams

    #292135
    George
    Participant

    It’s not really the same as last year as the engine isn’t new for them, we’ve seen from Mercedes that the cars can be reliable out of the box this season.

    I’m personally hoping these rumours about their finances aren’t true. I can’t hold the Manor situation against them considering Marussia couldn’t even make the last few races of last year, and there’s no guarantee they would be any better prepared now.

    #292162
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @george The only reason Marussia stopped in 2014 was that their Russian owner stopped funding before the end of the year. No team could have survived that. There is no reason to think the new management are less proficient, they reputedly have former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King involved.

    Any respect or liking for Force India has gone in my view; I’d rather have Manor on the grid rather than Force India, after the way FI has acted.

    #292169
    Craig Woollard
    Participant

    Any respect or liking for Force India has gone in my view; I’d rather have Manor on the grid rather than Force India, after the way FI has acted.

    For rejecting the opportunity to get ~£4m stuck straight into your bank account? That reason alone would be valid enough for Force India to reject the Manor bid. From a business perspective (and remember, Formula 1 is a business) they would have been completely stupid not to. This is before we get into the technicalities of them running what would essentially be an illegal car and whether the bid was any good or not.

    #292193
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @craig-o The good thing about looking at it from a fan’s perspective is that we don’t look at it as a business. Fans don’t pay money to watch a business, they don’t buy posters and buy books to follow a business.

    And I don’t know what the big deal is about running a previous year’s car – it used to happen for years (the McLaren MP4/4 was used for several years).

    The bid, which I know is something we know nothing about, is also of no business of Force India to decide. The FIA and FOM didn’t seem to have a problem with Manor, which would have given it free pass to enter had all the teams agreed to it. And I cannot believe Manor would be any less credible than HRT or Caterham. And remember, USF1, which was given a slot despite having nothing at all? Manor are already several steps ahead of all of these; remember, a team that outscored Sauber in 2014.

    #292201
    Adam Blocker
    Participant

    @junior-pilot Just to add on: even Forza Rossa has a spot for 2016. We have no idea who these people are, what they have (probably nothing) and haven’t heard anything about them actually making it to the grid. It will be absolutely ridiculous if they are in a better position than a team with five years of f1 experience and two points to their names.

    Anyone with a car that is legal should be allowed to compete, no matter what. I don’t see why the FIA even has these strict rules for entry onto the F1 grid. And for this particular season, where the rules have basically not changed, a 2014 car run by effectively the same team should be allowed. Heck, they used to allow Super Aguri to basically use the previous season’s Honda!

    #292225
    Craig Woollard
    Participant

    @junior-pilot

    The good thing about looking at it from a fan’s perspective is that we don’t look at it as a business.

    Perhaps I am no longer a fan then.

    And I don’t know what the big deal is about running a previous year’s car – it used to happen for years (the McLaren MP4/4 was used for several years).

    Nonsense. The MP4/4 was used for 1988. The MP4/5 was used for 1989. Also, that was when regulations changed little between seasons. For 2015 there are a number of changes being made to the regulations regarding the front of the car. I don’t see why one team should be exempt from the regulations and are allowed to run an illegal car for a whole season when everybody else must stick to the rulebook.

    The bid, which I know is something we know nothing about, is also of no business of Force India to decide.

    Force India are part of the so-called ‘Strategy Group’, so yes it is their business.

    #292226
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @craig-o Sorry I meant to say McLaren MP4/2 (I was doing it from memory, and picturing in my head the 1984 McLaren that was much the same for 1985 and 1986, in B and C versions).

    As for the rest, I stand by it.

    #292268
    pH
    Participant

    I think some people here got it backwards. The _Manor’s bid_ for “return” was a business proposal. Marussia sold much of its assets last year. According to media, the proposal did not include any suggestion how this was to be remedied, nor did it feature any information on financial side of the deal.

    If somebody really were serious about resurrecting the team, they could have done it in December, when the infrastructure was still there. So to me it looks like somebody figures that for a few million’s investment they can run an old car in 2015 (perhaps one race would be enough?) to be eligible for Marussia’s prize money of 30M. A nice rate of return. So far I have not seen any indication that anything more substantial is in the works.

    As a sporting fan I see no reason to support this and therefore I cannot really blame FI for not going along with it. Force India did not kill Marussia, because one cannot kill a corpse.

    #292286
    Asanator
    Participant

    @pH The point is that Manor wasn’t asked to submit a proposal, in fact their inclusion wasn’t even supposed to be discussed never mind voted on at the meeting. If it were, I am sure they would have submitted a proposal which would have at least gone some way to answering FI and other teams concerns.

    The reason for FI’s delays are because they aren’t being give credit any more, which to be honest, hearing how VJ has run some of his other indebted businesses, I am not surprised at.

    #292292
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    It seems straightforward to me; Manor has cars, an engine deal, tyres, a factory (their original Virgin Racing facility), leadership, and access to most of its previous personnel and equipment. Add in a couple of pay drivers (Sutil reputedly brings $5m and van der Garde $15m) and their 2014 points money, they also have funding.

    So as far as I can see, they’re ready to race. So why are people stopping that?

    #292325
    Dan
    Participant

    I don’t think that they are not allowed to race is the problem, its the presentation they made at the time asking to be allowed to race is at fault. So I believe that if they submitted an application again with answers to questions about funding, equipment, personal etc. they would be allowed to race, However only when the 2014 car has been modified to meet the 2015 regulations

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.