Farewell Spyker/Spyker buyout?

[jc_nl]

Mole goes away at loss-making Spyker

Michiel mole, interim-ceo of Spyker, steps down. Mole wants to sell the formula I-team of the luxuriousbrand himself.

The interim-ceo confessed that Spyker is expected to lose money over 2007. The producer of luxuriously sportcars blames this on the lower than expected results of the formula I-team.

Spyker claims to have received several unasked bids for the raceteam. The car producer says it will now actively look to these proposals.

For the whole year Spyker expects that formula I raceteam will not be cash-neutraalll in 2007. Although earlier it was claimd that this would be the case.

The reason lies initially in a higher expenditure then had been expected, among others to improve the performances of the Spyker F8-VII F1. However, a higher income flow are expected by Spyker for 2008.

Spyker stocks closed 2.6% in Amsterdam lower on EUR 5.65.

source:
http://www.fd.nl/ShowRedactieNieuws....cumentId=37815

(I have edited the babblefish translations some what to make it more readable)

Well it wasn't even fun when it lasted so i can't say i am sorry to see them go.

[Knowlesy]

A shame.

So, another new name for this team coming up? Or will it disappear?

[chunterer]

You have to wonder.

At the moment we've got uncertainty surrounding the Prodrive entry, is it going to happen or will DR flog the entry on?

Super Aguri possibly selling part of the team,(won't be going away though) STR apparently thinking about it and now Spyker clearly having financial troubles.

I hope we don't see the field drop down to 20 odd cars again, we want more not less!!

Maybe manufacturers like Toyota, BMW and Merc will seize the opportunity to buy up a couple of these and do what Honda and Red Bull have done and run teams as well?

[Bluewolf]

I thought there were going to be customer cars in 2008 and that this would drop the cost of running an F1 team -- so the result would be more sponsers willing to get into the sport. Am I wrong???

[ss_collins]

VW cheap entry?

[Marbot]

Autosport link.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61529

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I hope we don't see the field drop down to 20 odd cars again, we want more not less!!

Bring an option to teams as they could have three cars racing if they want. With current team entries, you would fill easily the full grid of 26 cars.

[chillibowl]

i can see it now, Eddie Jordon to buy back the team for less than what got for it from midland, Stoddart can then buy out STR, Mr. Sauber can kick some Germans out of Switzerland, SA can revert back to Arrows, and Flav can go back to selling clothing...and then i can wake up tomorrow with the knowledge that being back in 2001 might not be so bad this time around

[Adri_tifosi]

Agag is also talking with Spyker

[Teretonga]

Spyker may well disappear but the current state of F1 is not sustainable for the manufacturers even if they benefit from increased (F1 derived) revenues. This is only the beginning.

Within 4 years you could be down to 4 manufacturer owned/operated teams.

Honda and Toyota got it wrong.
Frank and Ron got it right.
ferrari is an exception in that the company owes its existence to F1 and has been built around that very concept.

BMW will experience a season of success but will then leave to pursue other goals and ways of exploiting the sport for commercial gain and exposure.

Honda and Renault had it right in the past when they supplied engines and Renault has several titles recently but a sustained period in the second group will not be acceptable. They win reasonably often or go from the sport. A company can set a goal to prove something but once the goal is achieved then it will move on after a time consolidating on the publicity from the success.

Within 4 years we will probably have only four or five major manufacturers involved in the sport as owner/operaters of teams (including Fiat/Ferrari).

The current situation willl not work in the long term and what your have now is the tip of the iceberg starting it's meltdown....

[Teretonga]

What some people forget is that berie built the reputation of F1 during an unusual period.

That included the long term stability of the sport in engine regulations due to the avaialbility and success of the Cosworth DFV. 68-84 is a long time and those 15+ years enabled the sport to build commercially without huge changes and disruption. it hasn't been the same since the mid 80's and the last decade has seen a huge cost blowout that will simply not wok in the long term
A sport that needs commercial support of well in excess of two billion dollars a year for 17-18 events is not sustainable. there is not enough benefit in the cost benefit analysis unless you are very successful. Spyker realise that, SuperAguri are benefitting from Honda's generosity but that is temporal, as is STR's benfits from Red Bull. DM probably realises now that he has overstretched himself and that there are cheaper ways to achieve tha same commercial benefit.

[Dutton]

Let's not get too excited RE Doomsday scenarios.

Teams at the back of the grid coming and going is entirely normal.

The situation could become as dire as people often portray, but it is by no means some absolute fact of reality and certainty.

[Dixie Flatline]

Originally Posted by Dutton

Let's not get too excited RE Doomsday scenarios.

Teams at the back of the grid coming and going is entirely normal.

The situation could become as dire as people often portray, but it is by no means some absolute fact of reality and certainty.

Too true. A quick look at f1rejects.com will reveal a number of late, unlamented backmarkers that were weeded out by their failure to raise enough cash to operate effectively.

The trouble however, is that the world seems to becoming more attuned to environmental issues with respect to motor vehicles. In Australia just recently, Ford announced that it would close an assembly plant that was geared towards the production of V6 cars. It seems a lot of people are wanting cars with greater fuel efficiency that last the distance. The sport of Formula One is becoming ever more at odds with that, as it clings to a philosophy of we'll build it to go as fast as we can go and damn the consequences.

[Mathias]

Simple response to dwindling grids: get rid of all this nonsense about customer cars and intellectual property.

Spyker have been the biggest whinger about the legitimacy of Torro Rosso and Super Aguri, and call me controversial but IMO it serves them right that they may be the first to go.

[MrTTraces]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

A shame.

So, another new name for this team coming up? Or will it disappear?

Maybe Pro-Drive will take it over?

[fraggs]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

VW cheap entry?

lol.. snap.. I posted the exact same comment on another forum.. wasn't it VW and schumi as rumoured team that appeared in f1 racing last year before the prodrive announcement? when they were theorising on new potential teams.

[Marbot]

Spyker future is secure.Even the name won't change.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61537

[Knowlesy]

OK, take that as read. The team is in meltdown.

[Marbot]

Bailiffs moving in as we type.

[Teretonga]

The comments made earlier in the thread were not intended as doom and gloom. The absence of a number of major manufacturers would lead to greater stability not less stability, and without the influence of major manufacturers it would b esimpler and easier to operate regulations that would reduce costs and or contain costs better than the present situation.

I would much prefer the situation pre 1995 to what we have had over the last 5 years.

[JeremySmith]

I hope that they keep afloat, I am starting to take an interest in this team..

[davyboy]

Another wake-up call to the FIA that despite their cost cutting efforts Formula 1 is still ridiculously and unnecessarily expensive. Sweeping changes in the use of customer equipment andthe deployment of much greater standardization is necessary. Hopefully Spyker can keep going as it would sad to see another team bite the dust and even less opportunities for new talent to be seen in races.

[Peter Mallett]

Its the innevitable result of engaging the manufacturers. Get them gone and the money driven technology falls away.

Exactly what do we really want to see?

High tech, expensive, well driven projectiles or low tech, extremely well driven, powerful and fast racing cars?

But Bernie won't view it that way and why should he? He doesn't need to care if there are ten cars or five cars, as long as he gets his wedge out of it.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Its the innevitable result of engaging the manufacturers. Get them gone and the money driven technology falls away.

Exactly what do we really want to see?

High tech, expensive, well driven projectiles or low tech, extremely well driven, powerful and fast racing cars?

But Bernie won't view it that way and why should he? He doesn't need to care if there are ten cars or five cars, as long as he gets his wedge out of it.

Very true Peter.

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Exactly what do we really want to see?

High tech, expensive, well driven projectiles or low tech, extremely well driven, powerful and fast racing cars?

I'd be happiest with high tech, expensive (expensive is not a turn-on, but it is an inevtiable by-product of high tech), extremely well driven projectiles.

I think we have that in F1. Not every driver is outstanding, true, but the overall standard is pretty bloody impressive.