Charles Nickerson is the proud new owner of Prost GP!

LucaBadoer · 1 Mar 2002, 09:37 (Ref:224998)

F1 Live.

"According to a source close to the case today, the cars, patents and rights of the Prost Grand Prix team have been sold for 2.586 million euros to a British businessman by the name of Charles Nickerson.

Unfortunately the source was unable to specify under which company the transaction had been carried out, however further information indicated that Mr. Nickerson had been put into contact with the official liquidator, Mr. Côme Rogeau, by Tom Walkinshaw, owner of the British Formula One team,Arrows.

We will bring you further information on this situation as it comes to hand."

WHO IS THIS GUY???

Super Tourer · 1 Mar 2002, 10:42 (Ref:225021)

No idea - but I wouldn't mind betting that he's a 'front' for somebody else.

He could be a representative of the Walheed family that tried to buy Prost last year (before AP fouled up the deal again - read the story in F1 mag!).

Not many 'pure' businessmen without any links to motorsport would buy a team as they are not generally a fantastic investment - ask Albion Dinz who wrote off over $30 million on the old Prost team!

I read that Paul Stoddart tried to 'spoil' the deal that TWR was allegedy making as he feels it goes against the rules. Incidentally his advice has been that as the team didn't make it to scrutineering for the first race, its entry is null & void - therefore the 'owner' has effectively bought nothing......who knows?

expert · 1 Mar 2002, 12:18 (Ref:225074)

am i right in assuming that all mr. nickerson has to do now is show up for a few grands prix and recover the $50.000.000 caution prost paid, last year, for taking part in the 2002 championship? not a bad investment... or is it more complicated than that? i'd love to hear a reaction from someone who knows a bit more!

LucaBadoer · 1 Mar 2002, 13:08 (Ref:225113)

Quote:

Originally posted by expert
i'd love to hear a reaction from someone who knows a bit more!

And u call yourself an expert...

Mania · 1 Mar 2002, 14:10 (Ref:225158)

Stoddart is crying - maybe he has a legitamate case but I reckon its more to do with him not being able to get his hands on Prost's money rather than the drama he`s putting on about it "being bad for the sport" etc etc.

Personally, I dont see the reasoning behind entering the Prosts since they`re going to be behind the Minardis and the Toyotas and will struggle to make the grid let alone provide any entertainment.

KC · 1 Mar 2002, 16:06 (Ref:225203)

Autosport has reported that an unknown business man (apprarently Mr. Nickerson), has assumed Prost GP and the team will be engineered by TWR. SO I wonder if Walkinshaw is a silent investor in this deal?

Dickie Thrust · 1 Mar 2002, 16:13 (Ref:225208)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mania.

Personally, I dont see the reasoning behind entering the Prosts since they`re going to be behind the Minardis and the Toyotas and will struggle to make the grid let alone provide any entertainment.

This isn't about the sporting side, its about money. Think what this team will be worth in 1 years time with no more entries into F1 possible.

EERO · 1 Mar 2002, 18:03 (Ref:225246)

Stoddardt wanted it because for a $2,000,000 investment, he would have guaranteed himself Prost's share of the Concorde Monies, $10,000,000.

Not a bad return on an investment, 8 mill clear to pour back into Minardi, who stood to get Prost's money if no one entered the team.

Nicholas · 1 Mar 2002, 18:33 (Ref:225260)

Apparently according to Autosport entries have been submitted to Malaysia with the drivers....

Gaston Mazzacane and Tomas Enge. I don't believe it!

paulzinho · 1 Mar 2002, 19:16 (Ref:225288)

Similar to what has been said in the other thread but I'm quite excited by this, gives us something to talk about and keeps us getting!

DSMJUNIOR · 1 Mar 2002, 20:14 (Ref:225349)

getting what?

paulzinho · 1 Mar 2002, 21:01 (Ref:225371)

Oops sorry that should have been guessing, shows you should concentrate when you're typing!!!

mac · 1 Mar 2002, 21:42 (Ref:225389)

I have also heard that Stoddart offered substantially more for Prost's assets, but was knocked back. He is therefore upset that Walkinshaw got it at a lower price.

Of course, Walkinshaw has bankrolled it. It gives him another finger in the pie. And he is bound to make a motza if another manufacturer decides they want that 12th spot on the grid.

EERO · 1 Mar 2002, 22:27 (Ref:225420)

Its seems that Walkinshaw got "less" by paying less.

From Daily F1 Maître ROGEAU points out that no buy out offer of the Prost Grand Prix production unit was delivered before the expiration of the deadline.

He wishes to inform the media that the Commercial Court of Versailles received a proposal for a partial offer dealing with :

1 - the acquisition of the AP04 and AP05 chassis intellectual property

2 - the acquisition of the AP05 pieces and elements

3 - the acquisition of the rights related to the Concorde Agreement

4 - the hiring of some AP04 chassis elements and related parts

Hardware only, some on lease. No windtunnel, engineers, Mechanics, Factory..

I'm convinced that this is a ploy to keep the "12th team"
active and sell the spot down the road, unless Phoenix is acting as a front for VW or GM...or Kirch, in which case consider this the first move of the 2008 political gambit.

Mr V · 2 Mar 2002, 00:20 (Ref:225517)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mania
the Toyotas and will struggle to make the grid let alone provide any entertainment.

and have you seen the free practice times???...i don't see the toyota's being out of the 107% rule, esp if they can set the fastest speed through the trap aswell!!

Mekola · 2 Mar 2002, 00:41 (Ref:225536)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mania
Stoddart is crying - maybe he has a legitamate case but I reckon its more to do with him not being able to get his hands on Prost's money rather than the drama he`s putting on about it "being bad for the sport" etc etc.

Personally, I dont see the reasoning behind entering the Prosts since they`re going to be behind the Minardis and the Toyotas and will struggle to make the grid let alone provide any entertainment.

I respect Stoddart in many ways, but I think he was not expected to run the Post-Grand-Prix team if he bought it. Surely if he bought the Guyancourt team he catch the wind tunnel and other facilities to his base, as he did with Tyrrell.

Mekola · 2 Mar 2002, 00:43 (Ref:225537)

Quote:

Originally posted by nicholaswhite
Apparently according to Autosport entries have been submitted to Malaysia with the drivers....
Gaston Mazzacane and Tomas Enge. I don't believe it!

Mazzacane is sure in one of the cars, but Enge? He signed with Arden; if he was at Malaysia it will be a temporary entry...

Nicholas · 2 Mar 2002, 07:20 (Ref:225669)

Quote:

Originally posted by nicholaswhite
I don't believe it!

Exactly!

f1manoz · 2 Mar 2002, 08:18 (Ref:225684)

I don't believe it either.....

IF, and that's a very big IF, this guy Nickerson managed to get cars to Malaysia, would they even be able to qualify? Particularly if Mazzacane is driving?!?!?

Frankly, the whole scenario appears to be a giant waste of time. Let it go......

KA · 2 Mar 2002, 12:58 (Ref:225804)

Quote:

Originally posted by LucaBadoer
F1 Live.

"According to a source close to the case today, the cars, patents and rights of the Prost Grand Prix team have been sold for 2.586 million euros to a British businessman by the name of Charles Nickerson.

Unfortunately the source was unable to specify under which company the transaction had been carried out, however further information indicated that Mr. Nickerson had been put into contact with the official liquidator, Mr. Côme Rogeau, by Tom Walkinshaw, owner of the British Formula One team,Arrows.

We will bring you further information on this situation as it comes to hand."

WHO IS THIS GUY???

He's got a long assocaition with Walkinshaw- he used to race touring cars- under the pseudonym 'Chuck Nicholson'- and drove for Walkinshaw in the European Touring Car series about 20 years ago (most notably in 1982, the first season that TWR ran the Jaguar XJS in the ETCC, 'Nicholson' shared the car with Walkinshaw)

TW is far more deeply involved in this than he's admitting to....

Mekola · 2 Mar 2002, 13:43 (Ref:225830)

Quote:

Originally posted by f1manoz
I don't believe it either.....

IF, and that's a very big IF, this guy Nickerson managed to get cars to Malaysia, would they even be able to qualify? Particularly if Mazzacane is driving?!?!?

Frankly, the whole scenario appears to be a giant waste of time. Let it go......

The target of the team will be: Qualify. Ferrari denied the provision of motors (as Eurosport posted), then I'm afraid that the cars will use the Arrows-Hart engines that TWR used last time in 1999...

Tristan · 2 Mar 2002, 15:27 (Ref:225862)

This is pretty incredible even for F1 standards of sillyness.

TWR is effectively going to run two teams!! The chassis had been designed and two examples built BEFORE the team went under. They have the tech specs for the 2001 Ferrari/transmission, so it's merely a case of shoehorning one in. The deal for the engines SHOULD still stand for this season.

Paul Stoddart is a bit ****ed because he put in a bid of around £15m (figures vary wildley, but that's the one I've heard) and it was turned down by Prost. Now Prost has gone and sold it for just £3m, PLUS which, if you're running at the back of the grid and your only chance of points is through attrition, the more cars on the grid, the worse it is.

NOW here's the AMAZING bit: TW himself has said "Prost", or whatever the team's going to be called, MAY be on the grid for Malaysia (provisional entries are indeed Mazzacane and Enge) but "DEFINATELY in time for Brazil"!!! HIS WORDS!!!

Even though I am deeply in love with my wonderful Minardis, I am still keen to see a full grid of cars. I hope they make it. I won't believe it untill I see it, but I sincerely hope they do. Good luck.

Mania · 2 Mar 2002, 16:28 (Ref:225907)

Anybody who puts Mazzacane and Enghe behind the wheel of an F1 car deserves to be shot.

EERO · 2 Mar 2002, 16:29 (Ref:225909)

Its real. And it has nothing to do with running a racing team. The real value is the spot on the Concorde Agreement, and the possibility of snaring Prost's travel money from last season. (and denying that money to Minardi)

This is not a serious effort to field a race winning team, its an investment, pure and simple.

Mr V · 2 Mar 2002, 16:36 (Ref:225913)

i agree EERO, in an interview with tom walkinshaw, he said that having 12 teams on the grid, i.e a full grid, it keeps the value of the other teams up, so, an initial outlay of £3 mill is proberbly, relativly cheap in comparison to what his team might de-value at, if the 12th place wasn't bought up!

i do think that minardi should be promoted a place in terms of money coming to them tho', admittidly prost finished in front last season, but they aren't there now!

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