Analysis: What lies behind Formula 1's latest new team push

The FIA has just now issued an invitation for new candidates to join the Formula 1 grid in 2016 or 2017, however there may be more to the procedure than first meets the eye, as Adam Cooper describes.
The FIA's opening of an F1 entry procedure for 201617, which fell gently onto the organization's web site on Thursday, arrived just two weeks following the contentious Strategy Team meeting.
Next party, the FIA issued a press statement summarising what was discussed past the program to make F 1 vehicles faster.
It stated: "In mild of the different scenarios offered by the impartial consulting organization mandated by the F1 Strategy Team, in the initiative of the FIA, to focus on the decrease in prices and adhering to a constructive trade, an all-inclusive proposal to make sure the sustainability of the athletics has emerged."
What it did not do was verify what we'd previously learned unofficially - that throughout the meeting, conversations revolved greatly around third automobiles and client groups as methods of filling the F-1 grid should proven groups fall.
To put it differently, that want for sustainability does not seem to be focussed on lowering prices and/or raising income to shield present teams, many of which are certainly in fiscal problem.
The most recent "call for a manifestation of interest" would look to be more signs of too little drive to make certain the existing teams can live.
Rather than finding strategies to to shield the futures of Sauber, Force India, Lotus and Man Or, the FIA is previously seeking exterior for prospective future new entrants.
Looking back at Haas' entrance bid
The interesting thing is that last time the FIA issued the same invitation, one significant nominee was previously in the framework, and had been speaking to the organization and Bernie Ecclestone for some time - Haas F-1.
The invitation was issued on 11 December 2013, and needed a "nominee team to engage at a competitive level in the FIA Formula One World Championship from the beginning of the 2015 or 2016 season up to 2020 inclusive."
It gave a deadline of 3 January 2014 for first entries. That was only 23 days after and, with both Xmas and New Year in between, didn't anyone significantly chance to react unless these were were previously some way in the future.
It was on 16 January, that Gene Haas produced his strategies completely public by means of a press statement, while equally the Romanian FRR/Forza Rossa job and Stefan GP also had the procedure.
Complete applications needed to be submitted by 10 February, only 38 days subsequent to the first result, as well as a selection was due on 28 February.
But it was not until 1 1 April, that the World Motorsport Council officially verified that Haas had procured its entrance.
Despite having 1 1 months from official confirmation to its possible first race in Australia this yr, Haas shortly declared that it wouldn't be coming in 2015.
Instead, it elected for a 2016 entry, providing the group 23 months to prepare. FRR meanwhile seems to get stalled, even though it is not officially dead yet.
Time less tight than last year
So what of the most recent call for entrances? Could it be merely a fishing exercise from the FIA in the aftermath of the Method Team, or is some one having a significant job waiting in the wings, using the existing procedure kickstarted purely to ease their approval?
The paper work is just like last time, besides the dates. The deadline for entries is 30 June, allowing future entrants 3 3 times to get their act together, as opposed to the 2 3 of last time.
The difference from that point to the entry of final programs on 3 September is considerably more - 65 times, rather of 38. A selection is born on 30 September, even though the FIA took considerably longer more than guaranteed to give one last response last time-around.
So do these more generous lead-times suggest that this more a fishing exercise, which there's absolutely no nominee able to go? There isn't any clear solution however.
A further action towards consumer automobiles?
What's clear is the timings make it extremely difficult for anybody to really make 2016, considering that that ultimate verification of entries is expected just half a year ahead of the Australian GP.
Certainly, there is not any way a team thinking to create a unique automobile in the traditional manner could cope with these deadlines. Even somebody thinking to go right into a venture with a current team and make just a chassis like Haas would fight.
As we observed, Haas could not handle it in 1 1 months and selected for 2 3 rather, even though the entire operation had to be started from-scratch.
Could a recognised group via a different type of racing make 2016 having a customer auto provided by means of a leading group? Maybe.
But only if strategies were all-in place prior to the 30 September conclusion deadline, as well as the constructor worried had the ability to create the additional chassis and components.
The snag are at the minute the the guidelines never let it, and there is nothing nothing in the FIA's entrance procedure that overtly proposes that customer automobiles will be permitted.
Additionally it is too late now for guidelines allowing customer automobiles in Formula 1 for 2016 to come into force till there's unanimous contract - something smaller groups will not be happy to take.
ARTWORK linked with F1 commencement
So who might answer this time-around? The one title that inevitably crops up is that of the McLaren-aligned GP2 superteam ARTWORK Grandprix.
Sources state the most outspoken proponent of consumer automobiles in the Method Team meeting was McLaren's Ron Dennis, also it is not surprising he would need to see 2 more Honda-run automobiles on the power system.
Would he sanction a supply of engines to a recognised third party group, or would he instead they went to a fresh "sister" process over which he'd substantial control? Not a hard option...
The most reasonable course would be to support another team which is a part of the McLaren family. Aside from other things, McLaren now h AS Kevin Magnussen, Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries all arranged, and no where to place them.
Meanwhile, Honda has a GP2 protege in Nobuharu Matsushita. The odds of him actually racing a McLaren seems slender - thus as with Satoru Nakajima, who had been set at Lotus-Honda in 1987, a house must be located for him someplace.
Vandoorne and Matsushita are now racing for ARTWORK in the feeder sequence, as well as the connections with McLaren were merely emphasised when the French kit repainted its GP2 vehicles to match the Woking group new color colour pallette in Barcelona.
Both organisations discuss Bahraini possession, they interact in Formulae, and ARTWORK's aspirations to a day move into Formula 1 are properly recognized - even though it'd only occur in the event the bundle was correct, as well as the resources set up.
Following the client auto strategy appeared, ARTWORK co-operator Nicolas Todt informed Motorsport.com: "Entering Formula 1 is something which ARTWORK could consider, however as long as it makes actual sense to us, and so if all of the bits of the jig saw are there."
Among the pieces would well function as potential return of Michelin. It is not secret that ARTWORK is near to the French large and current discussion that it'll assess a bid to tender for the 2017-2019 deal comes with intriguing time.
McLaren insists for now, though, that no cooperation strategy with ARTWORK is to the horizon. A spokesman stated: "We have no such programs and have had no such discussions."
It could all be circumstantial right now, but mounting evidence points towards ARTWORK at some point getting McLaren-Honda's F-1 companion.
When it is with a Haas-design cooperation, or a full on client offer in the event the rules permit, remains to be observed. Let us wait and see who uses by June 30th.

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29.05.2015
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