"Team Dubai F1" to enter in 2006

[cos]

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle...0&section=news

They're looking for chassis and engine assistance from McLaren-Mercedes and may even move into their old HQ in Woking!

[BSchneiderFan]

A new team: good news! But if someone else buys Jaguar, will there be room for Midland and Dubai in 2006?

[Sodemo]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Ahem, anyone remember Team Pheonix?

[SPARK Msport]

You never know, next week we might hear Lotus returning...

[codename_47]

Isn't all this a bit coincidental when next year we're worried about the top teams having to run three cars due to lack of numbers, yet the year after two new teams are supposedly coming in??

And should the best case scenario happen and we don't lose Jordan, Minardi and Jaguar (under new management, of course!), there'll be 24 cars.....when was the last time that happened? :confused:

The first corners of each race would become scarier, for one!

[BootsOntheSide]

12 teams and thus 24 cars is the limit, so theoretically 2006 could see a full grid without 3 car teams.

These guys aren't going to be short of money, although building up a competitive team takes a lot more than that, even if they end up running year-old Mercedes engines and with support from McLaren (maybe Wurz, de la Rosa or Hamilton driving for them?).

The only shame is that two potential Jaguar buyers are out of the running, and I'll only believe it once they get the car running - as they say, a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush.

[alesi95]

Originally posted by The Monster
I'll believe it when I see it.

Ahem, anyone remember Team Pheonix?

I also express my cynisim. Yes i do remember Team Pheonix.

[Poddy]

It seems very strange when you have the manufacturers whinging that they can't support a second string of engines and Cosworth still without a buyer that two non-manufacturer teams would state their intentions to enter F1 in 2006 within days of each other.

If Midland and Dubai are serious (and that's a big if), I wonder if some sort of deal has been struck between the teams/manufacturers and the FIA, say guaranteeing the use of two weekend 3.0l V10s until the next concorde agreement in exchange for each manufacturer/team having to offer a second supply of chassis and/or engines if called upon to do so.

[ralf fan]

expect Dubai to be another Toyota... they will not under commit like Jag... and plans to team up with Mac shows that..

[CleanTone]

These past days there was a little bit of news on Merc wanting their own team. Just copy/pasting, nothing else...

[Kicking-back]

This is good news.

Essentially a second-string McLaren outfit, like Ferrari have with Sauber.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally posted by alesi95
I also express my cynisim. Yes i do remember Team Pheonix.

I think it's Phoenix we remember.

[Andrew Gunnell]

Brillient news if both Midlands F1 and Team Dubai do enter, but like some of the other I will believe it when it happens? Do you also remeber Lola's rentry in the late 90s?

Originally posted by codename_47
And should the best case scenario happen and we don't lose Jordan, Minardi and Jaguar (under new management, of course!), there'll be 24 cars.....when was the last time that happened? :confused:

I think the late time 24 were on a grid was in 2001, when both Prost and Arrows were still running.

[Tamás]

Yes, it's good news in two aspect at the same time. There will be more and more teams in the Formula One, and on the other hand, McLaren is going to have another team, which can help it develope the engine, which istn't the everybest this time.

[Sodemo]

No in 2001 there were 22 cars.

I can't remember the last time there were 24 cars, maybe 1995 or 1997.

[cos]

Originally posted by The Monster
I'll believe it when I see it.

Ahem, anyone remember Team Pheonix?

Think this is a bit different to the Phoenix farce though - the people behind the Pheonix group were cobbling together old Prost chassis, even older Hart engines, goodness knows what tyres and nomiated Enge and Mazzacane as drivers. Clearly they didn't have any intention of being competitive, but just wanted to create a valuable asset to sell on. Team Dubai on the other hand are willing to pay the $48m deposit to gain an entry slot; the question is why do that when you could pick up a team now for perhaps as little as $25m?

[LordClyde]

please not another FORD/JAQUAR/COSWORTH RACING debarcle, we really have had enough of those three:confused: :confused:

[SPARK Msport]

I think the late time 24 were on a grid was in 2001, when both Prost and Arrows were still running.

In 2002 there would had been 24 cars (which I think your talking about) when Toyota entered. But in January of that year Prost was finished and although their car numbers were reserved they never raced. A few months later Arrows would follow...

[Andrew Gunnell]

Spark Msport - Yes your right I was thinking of the start of the 2002 season.

[joe rossi]

Originally posted by cos
the question is why do that when you could pick up a team now for perhaps as little as $25m?

The article answers the question. They believe that by buying an existing team they will always be tainted with the history of that team, good or bad. therefore as money is not an issue, they have decided to start from scratch, for 2006.

[Redlake27]

It is a shrewd deal from McLaren.

If the cost of running a third car (if that was to happen) was something that West, Siemens, Boss etc etc couldn't stretch to, this is a far more lucrative way of solving the problem.

It also reduces the risk to the McLaren group. For the last ten years most of McLarens income has come from the German economy. The German economy is not as rosy at it was, but the UAE situation is. Spread the risk. (God, you would almost think I was writing about a business, not a sport..........)

[N I Tram]

It's great to have some fresh blood in F1, especially as it's well-funded, likely to have good equipment and technical support, and comes from one of the growth areas of the world economy. Midland and Dubai getting onto the grid and performing respectably would be a really positive development for F1, especially if Jaguar and/or Jordan don't survive.

[SPARK Msport]

With regards to West, when are these tabocco laws coming in? As I have recently read that any UK based team will not be allowed to run in their tabocco colours when the law comes into place...

[cos]

July 31st next year...