Ferrari chassis + engine rumour

[spider]

Here’s a little theory. GP2 Asia seems to have been rather hurriedly put together. 4 days of testing and the race within a week kind of gives that impression.

Then Ferrari’s Sporting Director was seen at Silverstone at the first A1 test, McLaren are hit with a huge fine to appease Ferrari and Texeira mentioned in his Autosport interview they had some truly astounding news to break to the motorsport world.

Ok, this is purely my 1+1 = 987,000 view on things, but what if:

* Ferrari and A1GP have struck an agreement from 2008/09 season onwards to supply engine/chassis.
* Bernie, Flavio and Bruno get wind of this development and hurriedly assemble GP2 Asia to counteract A1 and get the series established before the new Ferrari A1GP cars get underway.
* To keep Ferrari onside, their appeal is successful and McLaren are punished severely.

Or…it’s all a coincidence.

[zac510]

Maybe he was just out scoping new talent?

[bella]

crikey, it's not even the off season proper and people are starting to hallucinate already

[Kiwi3]

While there is a rumour Ferrari might supply the new A1GP kit, it surely won't be branded Ferrari, hence the reds will still use F1 to maintain their brand.

I don't think GP2 Asia will have much of an effect on A1GP either, other than the loss of Sentul (they are backing the wrong horse in my opinion - which is more attractive to fans, Team Indonesia or Mr. Ananda Mikola?).

When was the Autosport interview? Can you share the gist of the interview?

[spider]

Originally Posted by bella

crikey, it's not even the off season proper and people are starting to hallucinate already

[spider]

i'll try and dig it out Kiwi, it was in Autosport about 4 weeks back. I'll write it up tomorrow...

[ss_collins]

I find the talk of Ferrari A1GP a bit unlikely

[Go_For_Pole]

why not? it will be like a more mainstream version of Ferrari Clienti

[cos]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19716.html

[spider]

well, what can i say...!?! The whole GP2 Asia thing did look very clumsy in putting it together. Also, what if Texeira is successful and the A1 Champ lands some kind of F1 deal with his team, that'd really strengthen the series...

[Go_For_Pole]

You know, it is being rumored that Texeira wants to be a F1 franchise and set up a Ferrari B' team

[kurtiejjj]

At Zandvoort there was a rumour around that Ferrari is going to supply A1GP with chassis and engines from the start of the 2008/2009 season, a contract that will end 9 years! I'm surprised that nobody on this forum picked it up yet.

Is it true?

[Asa]

It was discussed in the 1+1=? thread.

But how's Ferrari going to service this deal? I am quite sure it won't be F1 cars that they are providing, but some tuned down version of it. Will that appeal and how will we know that the Italian team will not get an advantage?

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Asa

But how's Ferrari going to service this deal? I am quite sure it won't be F1 cars that they are providing, but some tuned down version of it. Will that appeal and how will we know that the Italian team will not get an advantage?

Why would Ferrari give the Italian team an advantage? Whilst there may be a slight conflict of interest, it is no different from the sitaution where there is a British team with cars and engine supplied by Lola and Zytek. I suspect that if Ferrari gets the deal, they would set up a new division of the company to handle the business. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if there is some visual similarities between the A1GP and F1 cars, although A1GP may want to continue their policy of having instantantly recognisable cars.

[autot]

seems a little strange that the safety car for this meeting was a brand new ferrari?????

[gttouring]

that's crazy
but it can happen and with frozen development it would just be a cash flow, and the sounds would be lovely...

[spider]

This deal i suspect, reading between the lines of Texeiras' Autosport interview, will have been close to being agreed at least a few months back.

[zac510]

I just saw a Ferrari drive past my office window.. the plot thickens!

[Asp]

Ferrari's are red; and all the A1GP promotion material (website etc) is predominately red, could this be a sign too?

[Francis Albert]

yes, clearly this has been planned from the very begining!

[NAC]

Fantastic, another conspiracy theory, yahoooo

If Ferrari pull this deal off one thing will be a given. They will win the Manufactures Championship fair and square. Nice strategy

[Kiwi3]

Nice one NAC!

[climb]

The Ferrari deal is all but a rumour; A1 are apparently searching for a prestige brand to reboost their series, to respond some way to GP2 asian attack.
You can take it for done.
Not good news for Lola then.

[SALEEN S7R]

Not good news for Lola? Lola are every bit as prestigous as Dallara, if not a little more IMO. The only thing A1 should really change is the engines IMO. At the moment the cars are running a LMP2 Zytek engine effectively, it would be nice to have a engine that is purpose built for A1.

[The STIG]

Read about this in Autosport. Surely even if Ferrari do supply a A1 Spec V8 (or whatever) to the series, I'm not so sure about the Chassis deal which Autosport suggests. For me one of the major selling points of the series is it's very unique cars, and another series using modified F1 machinery doesn't excite.

However, just to drive the conspiracy theorists nuts, has everyone else noticed that the A1GP Saftey car is a Ferrari 599Barchetta?