What happened with the 13th team

[Mister Fungus]

I remember last year Epsilon Euskadi, ART, Stefan and other announced bid but none were cleared. Most of them said they will try again in 2012, but I don't even recall there being a process for the new teams this year. So basically what happened? Did FIA/FOM whoever silently let the 13th spot go, is it a lack of interest because of 2013 regulation change (which may be postponed, and won't be that big) or something else? Seems to me F1 is on the up again, I am certain TV ratings are much bigger this year and even HRT seems to be getting more and more sponsors. So my question is, why no new team for 2012?

[Walsh_e]

There may be a lack of interest because of the rule changes, why enter for 2012 when the rules will change the year after, however with no news of the FIA even putting a spot to tender would appear that they have given up on the 13th team, at least for this year.

I can't help but feel that the FIA is messing up again here, if the 13th team was to happen then they should be accepting applications now for 2013, that gives the team around 18 months to get set up and design a car, they would have an extra year to go testing and get their infrastructure sorted. Basically what they should have done with the three new teams originally, given them 18 months instead of 8!

[karsten]

i just love that webpage in 2 minutes you came out with your own demotivational

[mario]

There may be a lack of interest because of the rule changes, why enter for 2012 when the rules will change the year after, however with no news of the FIA even putting a spot to tender would appear that they have given up on the 13th team, at least for this year.

I can't help but feel that the FIA is messing up again here, if the 13th team was to happen then they should be accepting applications now for 2013, that gives the team around 18 months to get set up and design a car, they would have an extra year to go testing and get their infrastructure sorted. Basically what they should have done with the three new teams originally, given them 18 months instead of 8!

I think that part of the problem the FIA has had in recent years is that, last year, the entries vying for the 13th team slot were not exactly of the highest calibre, were they? OK, the Epsilon Euskadi bid was probably the best of a bad bunch - they did, after all, get as far as a wind tunnel model for their 2010 bid, and seem to have been one of the more professional contenders, but have twice been snubbed by the FIA (seemingly over concerns that the team might have lacked the resources to properly fund a season long campaign).
Otherwise, though, most of them seemed destined to collapse, such as the Durango bid from a team that couldn't afford to compete in GP2, before Villeneuve's shameless attempt to crowbar his way back into the sport through teaming up with them put the icing on the cake. Given that a number of teams made a mockery of the 2011 application procedures - take ART Grand Prix entering and promptly withdrawing from the selection process - and with the FIA still mindful of the scorn it earned over the collapse of USF1, I can understand why they might have decided that it wasn't worth trying to entice a new team into the sport.

On top of that, with the FIA trying hard to entice a new manufacture into the sport (i.e. the very unsubtle courtship of the VW group, even if it was unsuccessful), I wonder if they are deliberately holding back a place in case a major manufacturer decides to enter or return to the sport?

i just love that webpage

It's somewhat ironic that Lola Cars have actually been hinting at a possible return to the sport as an independent chassis manufacturer (remember the wind tunnel model they showed off ahead of the 2010 season as an advertisement for their services?)

[karsten]

It's somewhat ironic that Lola Cars have actually been hinting at a possible return to the sport as an independent chassis manufacturer (remember the wind tunnel model they showed off ahead of the 2010 season as an advertisement for their services?)

this is the reason i made that pic up

[Faustus]

There may be a lack of interest because of the rule changes, why enter for 2012 when the rules will change the year after, however with no news of the FIA even putting a spot to tender would appear that they have given up on the 13th team, at least for this year.

I can't help but feel that the FIA is messing up again here, if the 13th team was to happen then they should be accepting applications now for 2013, that gives the team around 18 months to get set up and design a car, they would have an extra year to go testing and get their infrastructure sorted. Basically what they should have done with the three new teams originally, given them 18 months instead of 8!

I think that part of the problem the FIA has had in recent years is that, last year, the entries vying for the 13th team slot were not exactly of the highest calibre, were they? OK, the Epsilon Euskadi bid was probably the best of a bad bunch - they did, after all, get as far as a wind tunnel model for their 2010 bid, and seem to have been one of the more professional contenders, but have twice been snubbed by the FIA (seemingly over concerns that the team might have lacked the resources to properly fund a season long campaign).
Otherwise, though, most of them seemed destined to collapse, such as the Durango bid from a team that couldn't afford to compete in GP2, before Villeneuve's shameless attempt to crowbar his way back into the sport through teaming up with them put the icing on the cake. Given that a number of teams made a mockery of the 2011 application procedures - take ART Grand Prix entering and promptly withdrawing from the selection process - and with the FIA still mindful of the scorn it earned over the collapse of USF1, I can understand why they might have decided that it wasn't worth trying to entice a new team into the sport.

I think you're absolutely right. None of the applications was considered credible enough.

[DanielPT]

The sport went to such professionalism levels that, now, it is easier to start a high-tech company from scratch in a field that doesn't say much to the owner than to go racing in F1. I think from an image point of view it is good that this path has been taken. From F1Rejects point of view, is obviously bad... Anyway, F1 is increasingly looking like a select club that specialized several professions and keeps that knowledge in doors. This worsen the gap between established teams and new teams. The latter don't have much chance of gathering some unhappy brains from the established ones because of that idea of job stability and money, of course. The only way of starting is to take some non-specialized brains and teach them. This makes the teams look worse than they are and, in turn, makes those already there unwilling to let others enter and make the sport look bad (This is for non car manufacturer teams). Therefore there is some kind of allergy now for a 13th team (that debacle with USF1 didn't help either). Unless the new team is drowning in money and sponsors of course, which is unlikely given they must waste a pile of cash before setting foot at a race.

[GroupLotusRenault]

The problem is if a small team with not the budget or the calibre to enter the gird and the FIA lets them in and they just keep falling out of the 107% rule its just going to be a waste of time. On eteam was going to enter but didnt get the place was RML (Ray mallock LTD) they have won so many touring car championships Nissan BTCC 1999, Chevelot WTCC/BTCC 2010. And they have enter F3 before and Le Mans LMP2 & LMP1. These are the teams which may not have have huge budgets, but alot of racing background in other series. These are a few that could enter:

RML
Triple 8
Prodrive (they have tried many times but due to customer cars banned they decided to back off)
Dallara (thery scored a amazing podium finish in 1991 Imola)
Arena Motorsport (former Onyx owner)

Their are so many others.

[Jeroen Krautmeir]

Prodrive (they have tried many times but due to customer cars banned they decided to back off)
Dallara (thery scored a amazing podium finish in 1991 Imola)

No chance in hell Prodrive are coming back, and Dallara's two podiums were thanks to massive races of attrition, something you will never find at this rate. I'm not saying they built a T93-esque car, but this was something that was no stranger to DNPQing and DNQing and Retiring. But I'd say they did a solid job back then, and they did a good job to give HRT a solid car with non-existant cash. I personally want Panoz to enter F1. Perhaps not as a whole team, but maybe as a chassis manufacturer/designer for one of the teams.

[muttley]

No chance in hell Prodrive are coming back, and Dallara's two podiums were thanks to massive races of attrition, something you will never find at this rate.

Actually Alex Caffi qualified 3rd in Hungary in 1989, so the car wasn't THAT bad.

[Jeroen Krautmeir]

No chance in hell Prodrive are coming back, and Dallara's two podiums were thanks to massive races of attrition, something you will never find at this rate.

Actually Alex Caffi qualified 3rd in Hungary in 1989, so the car wasn't THAT bad.

Like I said, the car wasn't awful, but it wasn't a great car either. It was just a solid job.

[Revelo89]

No chance in hell Prodrive are coming back, and Dallara's two podiums were thanks to massive races of attrition, something you will never find at this rate.

Actually Alex Caffi qualified 3rd in Hungary in 1989, so the car wasn't THAT bad.

Like I said, the car wasn't awful, but it wasn't a great car either. It was just a solid job.

At least until Lola got their hands on the team in 1993