Project Brabham

[kvenom]

Perrin and Brabham should combine and form a super team!

[YorkshireLad]

I spoke with Nic this week he's still plowing on he said. His Swiss investor who gave him £400k for initial R&D stopped backing him a while ago now. That money dried up, he was working freelance for other teams to make enough money to then come back home, support family and carry project on. I struggle to see it finally working out now, it's been so long. It's a massive waste of car design, it's basically ready for mould making etc.

I do applauded his effort though! He won't give up.

[Deleted]

The list of "ready desings but no backers" is a long and exhaustive one in modern LMP1.

[knighty]

Last I heard was Perrin was working at Manor F1 this season, coincidentally John Booth & Greame Lowdon have left and are now rumored to be starting up an LMP2 WEC team for 2016......which I must admit they are aiming a bit low in my opinion, perhaps they will just tread water in LMP2 in the 2016 season and could team up with either the likes of Brabham, Perrin, Oreca or Ligier in order to make the step up to LMP1 in 2017??......sorry, did you just say £400K on R&D for a 1-man band, what!!!.....if so that smells awfully fishy to me.......I bet his mattress has a big bulge in it, or perhaps a few quick-release floor boards under the bed?......as they say, a fool and his money are soon separated! fair play to the bloke (:-O

[Ephaeton]

Originally Posted by knighty

Last I heard was Perrin was working at Manor F1 this season,

He did so for the first few (3 to 5'ish) races of the season, after which he sent out an announcement that his mission at manor was done and he'd return to other duties.

[YorkshireLad]

His 400k was what started Perrinn. Payed for I think 3 people on design then the website, servers for all the online free data, scale model, conventions, renting the offices near hetton (skipton area) etc etc.

The car was ready to rock and roll though, just needed to be built and that was its Achilles heal. No teams would buy the prototype because none of the components hadn't been tested.

He'd reached a step which brabham is still lightyears away. So if you think of the funding project B has got to eventually reach, building its own lmp1 after doing all the p2 stuff, it's still very far away in my eyes.

[Deleted]

David is, as always, on the Autosport International guest list, and will be on 'stage' tomorrow. Maybe he'll say something about this again, maybe not, but I hope he remembers to tell how's the crowfunded yacht been for relaxation between work

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by Chiana

David is, as always, on the Autosport International guest list, and will be on 'stage' tomorrow. Maybe he'll say something about this again, maybe not, but I hope he remembers to tell how's the crowfunded yacht been for relaxation between work

Silly you, the yacht is obviously in winter mooring down in Monaco! The next stage of "crowd funding", is for the apartment to stay at while the yacht is parked up!

I cannot believe he will have much to say if he attends the Autosport show, and probably whoever is the interviewer, won't ask "awkward" questions if he does.

Sad state of affairs in truth.

[rich07]

Maybe Project Brabham was a yacht all along? The LMP2 was the name of his yacht hence the Brabham LMP2 project haha

In all seriousness Brabs might not be living hand in mouth but I highly doubt he's in the market for a yacht, he sounds highly passionate about this so the money might seem to disappear but I doubt he's doing anything dodgy with it. Maybes he brought a whole heap of US Powerball tickets-if he wins that I think we could see an LMP1 ...or a F1 team

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by rich07

Maybe Project Brabham was a yacht all along? The LMP2 was the name of his yacht hence the Brabham LMP2 project haha

In all seriousness Brabs might not be living hand in mouth but I highly doubt he's in the market for a yacht, he sounds highly passionate about this so the money might seem to disappear but I doubt he's doing anything dodgy with it. Maybes he brought a whole heap of US Powerball tickets-if he wins that I think we could see an LMP1 ...or a F1 team

Maybe you are correct, but it would seem that more than enough time has passed by since inception of the scheme, and one assume a reasonable amount of money having been donated, he should have something more concrete to show for peoples trust and money in him, don't you think?

He could always start off by buying a Ginetta LMP3 car

[Deleted]

AIS today:

"Since we have launched, we have had interesting approaches from different people who want to use our brand, that might help us do what we want to achieve," Brabham says. "We've got a bit of a vision planned, we're going step by step. It's exciting times for Brabham. We're about to go back into the market and give it a big push over the next six or seven months"

I'll just quote myself:

Originally Posted by Chiana

"I'm confident"
"Me too"
"As am I"

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by Chiana

AIS today:

"Since we have launched, we have had interesting approaches from different people who want to use our brand, that might help us do what we want to achieve," Brabham says. "We've got a bit of a vision planned, we're going step by step. It's exciting times for Brabham. We're about to go back into the market and give it a big push over the next six or seven months"

I'll just quote myself:

Hmmmmmm, sounds like they have found the Monaco apartment, now need to find the funds for it! ie: We're about to go back into the market and give it a big push over the next six or seven months"

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by truebeliever

Hmmmmmm, sounds like they have found the Monaco apartment, now need to find the funds for it! ie: We're about to go back into the market and give it a big push over the next six or seven months"

Or they have bought the said apartment already (leftover money fron the crowfunded yacht) and now just need to go to the "market" for furniture shopping

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Or they have bought the said apartment already (leftover money fron the crowfunded yacht) and now just need to go to the "market" for furniture shopping

Ha ha, maybe, and I am guessing furniture in Monaco is NOT cheap!

Whatever is the truth, by the wording of "months", it would seem clear there is nothing happening regards any race program during 2016! If ever.

Good life if you can get away with it I suppose, just wonder whatever became with "ethics" along the way?

[kurski]

http://beta.autosport.com/news/repor...roject-brabham
Sergio Rinland designer joins Project Brabham

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by kurski

http://beta.autosport.com/news/repor...roject-brabham
Sergio Rinland designer joins Project Brabham

Interesting. One has to wonder, is this a "free" association, or salaried?

In which case, perhaps no apartment But the point of Having Rinland involved does not count for much without the actual funds to do what I see is now being touted as a LMP1 project? I may be wrong, but wasn't this supposed to an LMP2 project?

Perhaps with LMP1, there is a belief of a higher amount on crowd funding income out there? So then what, a switch to F1, even more crowd funding

I will believe this for sure when there is something concrete happening, rather than more "going to the market for further funds."

Has the question ever been asked publicly to Mr. Brabham, how much of his own money has so far been invested in this project? That could be an interesting answer to hear.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by kurski

http://beta.autosport.com/news/repor...roject-brabham
Sergio Rinland designer joins Project Brabham

I wonder if he's designed a yacht before?

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by rich07

I wonder if he's designed a yacht before?

Maybe a couple of Thames barges!

[wdave0]

Originally Posted by truebeliever

Maybe a couple of Thames barges!

So, why the presumption of malfeasance? Maybe the guy just wants to race and hasn't the funds. It kind of surprises me that he doesn't just go out and get a paid ride - difficult as it may be but maybe there's the dream of emulating Jack.. As far as the switch in class - you can't have your own P2 or P3 as of next year - at least P1 is still free.

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by wdave0

So, why the presumption of malfeasance? Maybe the guy just wants to race and hasn't the funds. It kind of surprises me that he doesn't just go out and get a paid ride - difficult as it may be but maybe there's the dream of emulating Jack.. As far as the switch in class - you can't have your own P2 or P3 as of next year - at least P1 is still free.

Skepticism may be the correct word.

How long has it been since this Brabham Project was announced, how much money has been donated, what has that money been spent on?

Wouldn't you think that these are some basic answers which many would wonder about, certainly those out there who donated? Especially when there would seem to be nothing on the ground and now more talk of looking for more funds?

If he wants to simply race himself, as you said, why not go and try and find a paying drive to keep racing, or if the desire is that strong, race for free if he can get a drive on that basis.

As far as emulating Jack, that boat sailed many, many years ago, and it's not likely to be docking again any time soon.

You are correct that LMP3 and P2 are spec classes now with no open door to new constructors allowed. Didn't I read a comment from Brabham they would run some P2 with another chassis? Has that now become, "We want to build an LMP1 car?"

If crowd charity did not raise enough money to build or even purchase and run another make of P2 car, how do they intend to do design and build and run P1 in the WEC, on this basis of funding?

So I believe that skepticism is warranted.

[Adam43]

What communications are sent out to those who contributed? I presume they get on a mailing list for updates. Did anyone contribute around here?

[Deleted]

You'll get answer to the second question by visiting the first pages of the thread.

[Ephaeton]

Originally Posted by Adam43

What communications are sent out to those who contributed? I presume they get on a mailing list for updates. Did anyone contribute around here?

Lol. No communications via email. They've set up this member page that's so cheap I've never bothered to log in. Maybe they continue their cloudy announcements over there.

Looking at the project brabham public site though, they haven't bothered to put substantial news up there either. They're still on a vision to redefine how "we" experience motorsports. I have to assume that new experience is getting paid for failing with intent.

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by Ephaeton

Lol. No communications via email. They've set up this member page that's so cheap I've never bothered to log in. Maybe they continue their cloudy announcements over there.

Looking at the project brabham public site though, they haven't bothered to put substantial news up there either. They're still on a vision to redefine how "we" experience motorsports. I have to assume that new experience is getting paid for failing with intent.

Went and looked at the public site for the first time. There are some good old pics on there and lots of other bits & pieces, but really nothing much to do with any news etc, regarding the supposed LMP Project. Which I found somewhat surprising! Wasn't that what this whole "crowd funding" was all about?

It would seem if the money raised only went into this website, someone made a nice little earner out of it, as it's nothing too special in web design.

[Deleted]

We'll probably get to experience winning the lottery (and see if our yacht will be cooler than Brabs!!??), or you know, death, before experiencing the fantasy vision they have been supposedly redefining.