Stefan GP agree deal with Toyota

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Stefan GP claim they are on course to enter an F1 car in the world championship having agreed a deal with Toyota Motorsport.

A statement on the Stefan GP website said:

Stefan GP has just come to a basic agreement with Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) that Stefan GP will receive technical supports from TMG.
Stefan GP statement

At the McLaren MP4-25 launch earlier today Martin Whitmarsh remarked that it was strange none of the new teams had taken up the opportunity to acquire Toyota’s designs for what would have been the TF110.

Inevitably one puts two and two together and comes up with the solution that team owner Zoran Stefanovic intends to race the TF110 as his S-01 this year. The team said at the end of last month that the car had passed their internal crash tests and was being submitted to the FIA for further testing.

Alternatively, he may wish to offer the cars to anyone who wants to drive them without having to worry about testing restrictions. Autosport reported yesterday that Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony is setting up a scheme to do just that for younger drivers.

The FIA grid already has a full quota of 13 teams, so Stefan GP’s only route in as a competitor for the moment is “dead man’s boots”.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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38 comments on “Stefan GP agree deal with Toyota”

    1. I had a look at that yesterday. It’s hard to take it very seriously isn’t it. I saw this sentence on the job application page:

      “Slightly advantage if you are ex Toyota F1!”

      Slightly advantage?! Sounds like something Borat might say…

      1. It’s quite a funny website! I particularly like the fact the front page picture is an empty track $:)

  1. They’re probably expecting that Campos will not make it to the grid. Adrian Campos doesn’t want somebody to takeover the entire team, but I’m afraid there’s no much time left…Stefan GP would be an option.

  2. Do others think Stefan GP are just being optimistic or that they know something we don’t? Because from some of their actions and announcements it seems they are acting as if they will be there at the first race.

    Personally until it is official, I will believe all the teams currently signed up for 2010 will make the grid.

    Unless Toyota’s asking price was too high I agree with Whitmarsh in wondering why none of the new teams wanted any of Toyota’s technical data as even if they had already built their own car the information would have been helpful.

    1. Yes I’d have to agree with you, either their being very optimistic or there’s some movement behind the scenes, perhaps a nod from Bernie if you will.
      It could be that their philosophy is ‘fake it till you make it.’

  3. Weal, if Stefan aquires Campos, we Senna might just be saved.

    Hopefully these shenanigans result in Senna getting a drive. It’s a shame Campos have had this luck because they looked one of the more competant teams.

    Shame Senna couldn’t have gone to Virgin, rather Bruno Senna than Di Grassi.

    1. I really hope Campos pulls everything together and lines up for the first race. But if they don’t, Bruno Senna to USF1 baby!!!

      1. That’s unlikely but not impossible. USF1 would want at least one experienced driver.

  4. I would be a real shame if Bruno Senna doesn’t make it this year.

  5. Imagine that Honda didn’t sell their car to anybody for 2009, and Brawn had to build their own car last season.

    Imagine that Toyota has built a dominating car for 2010 as did Honda the year before o_O

    Holy damn!!

    1. Er, I predict that they haven’t, Toyota wern’t know for innovation.

      And er, Brawn wouldn’t have exsisted without the car. In fact i’d go further the only reason Brawn excisted was because buying the team for a $ ment buying the car as well.

  6. The StefanGP thing has been a puzzle for a while.

  7. It’s strange, really. Stefan GP have become a sort of joke over the off-season, yet they seem to be more determined to reach the grid than half of the existing teams.

    As much as it would be a shame for Adrian Campos if his team didn’t make it, it would be worth the look on the faces of FIA officials if Stefanovic came in and took over, after all the legal drama and suspicious shenanigans involving the selection process. And to be honest, it looks like they’d be a better outfit than Campos, who look set to be the worst new entrant since Lola in 1997.

    1. If a place on the 2010 grid did become vacant, Stefan GP wouldn’t get it automatically. They’d either need to go through the selection process for new teams or buy the entry of the defunct team.

      If Stefan GP is really so serious about F1 why didn’t it buy Toyota’s entry along with its 2010 design before Sauber was granted the 13th grid slot?

      Probably because Stefan GP is the type of cowboy outfit not seen in F1 since the demise of Andrea Moda.

      1. Prisoner Monkeys
        30th January 2010, 11:17

        If Stefan GP is really so serious about F1 why didn’t it buy Toyota’s entry along with its 2010 design before Sauber was granted the 13th grid slot?

        Because FOTA decided that in the event of a team withdrawing, they would block any attempt by anyone to acquire that grid position to allow Sauber, the then-14th team, to join the grid.

        And Stefan were under the impression that they did have a claim to the grid position. That’s why the FIA deliberated for so long in offically announce Sauber as a team – because they needed to decide what Toyota’s position was given that the team had pledged to compete by signing the Concorde Agreement and then backing out of the championship. As Stefan had by that time acquired Toyota’s assets, they made a claim to the grid, but it was ultimately rejected in favour of Sauber once the FIA haddecided that Toyota’s withdrawal had been entirely legal.

        1. I understand that. But had SGP bought Toyota’s entry before the team officially announced their intention not to use it, how would FOTA been legally able to block SGP (who owned a valid entry) in favour of Sauber (who did not)?

  8. HounslowBusGarage
    29th January 2010, 21:09

    Of course, Stefan might not be looking at the problems of the Campos/Dallara entry. He might be looking at a potential gap left by the non-appearance of a certain North American team.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      29th January 2010, 22:03

      I seriously doubt USF1 will not make it. There’s no evidence to suggest they will aside from dislike of Americans in general and Peter Windsor in particular.

      1. “dislike of Americans in general and Peter Windsor in particular.”

        That’s your opinion, but the fact they’ve signed a pay driver late in the day and not confirmed a second driver would suggest otherwise.

        But having said that, I think they’ll make it.. just.

  9. Prisoner Monkeys
    29th January 2010, 22:05

    It seems Zoran Stefanovic isn’t the only person anticipating troubles for Campos – reports out of Germany claim that Campos has been called up to see the Powers That Be on February 1st, where they will be asked to show collateral. I’m taking it this means the FIA is skittish about their prospects and wants the team to prove they can arrive in Bahrain. If not, the FIA could revoke their racing licence; surely they have the power to do that since they’re the ones that issued it in the first place.

    1. i have quite a few serbian friends, and this really would go down a treat over there, and bring in a few more fans from that part of the world i reckon too.

      can only be a good thing for the sport in my opinion, and agreeing with those above, Stefanovic does seem to at least show us that he has his act together, ,aybe even tothe point of being able to out-wit the craziness of the FIA, CVC ans Sir Bernie, and good luck to him. I would be willing to stick a tenner on a Stefan GP branded or owned car being on the grid in Bahrain

      1. Prisoner Monkeys
        30th January 2010, 2:46

        I think someone like Zoran Stefanovic is exactly what Formula 1 needs. He’s going to be the underdog, but his poor mastery of the English language plus his sheer determination to get onto the grid – he’s been working at it since 1997 when he tried to buy the Lola T97/30 chassis after they abandoned Formula 1 – and a name that makes him sound like a James Bond villain (Max Zorin; Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill) are going to earn him a lot of fans. Stefan GP could well be the new Minardi, and that can only be a good thing.

        I just wish they’d change their name. Dare I say it, but Stefan GP sounds a bit camp. Zoran F1, Stefanovic Racing or AMCO Serbia all sound cooler.

        1. Totally agreed with you there, Prisoner Monkeys. My my this off season is shaping up to be full of twists and turns, what next? And Zoran F1 would get my vote as Stefan GP does definitely sound camp!

          1. How do I apply for a Zoran Cosworth drive? I want one!

          2. Slightly advantage if you are ex Toyota F1!

  10. I think that Nick Heidfeld and Giancarlo Fisichella should be talking with stefan GP and getting them both a possible drive this year, i don’t see why Nick can’t try and go for a similar contract to that of Giancarlo with mercedes, either way he’s got nothing to lose and the toyota car wasn’t a bad car last year 5th with 59.5, only 10.5 behind Ferrari and 11.5 behind Mclaren

  11. If Campos fail then Stefan GP may make the grid,but I don’t think that there will be 14 teams next season.If that happens then the Bahrain track need to be even longer.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      30th January 2010, 3:00

      I suspect Campos are making things out to be worse than they really are. They’ve said they’ll miss testing in Bahrain, but Tony Teixeria reckons they’re aiming for the second test, and if they miss it, they’ll be at the third. They’re just painting a gloomy picture so that it looks better for them when they show up.

      Ideally, I would love to see a twenty-eight car grid – but I don’t think it will happen. Either Stefan or Campos-Teixeria will be forced to miss out; given the choice, I’d rather see Stefan make it and Campos-Teixeria fall by the wayside.

      1. ” They’ve said they’ll miss testing in Bahrain,”

        Is there any Bahrain testing?

        1. Prisoner Monkeys
          30th January 2010, 8:18

          No, the only testing is in Spain – Valencia (the motorcycle circuit), then Jerez, Jerez again and Barcelona. Campos have said they’ll treat the Bahrain Grand Prix as a test session.

  12. Prediction

    No Campos in 2010, USF1 has funding for 2010 only and won’t make it into 2011.
    2011, 3 car teams allowed to guarantee grid numbers and placate Ferrari, Prodrive enters and is granted 2011 grid position.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      30th January 2010, 7:14

      Prodrive will not enter Formula 1. Dave Richards claims the sport is “not viable” and has turned his back on it.

    2. Response

      Losing two teams but gaining another (Prodrive) for 2011 means the grid would be 24 cars, four more than 2009. This is still well above the minimum number promised to race promoters so three car teams wouldn’t be needed.

  13. Even a 60% developed Toyota would be faster than the 4 new teams. Martin Whitmarsh is right, a new team should have done everything to get the Toyota car and then further prepare it but they all missed it and if Stefan GP does get an entry to race this year, than i expect it to be the best of new teams.

  14. Toyota, remember, stuck by the fin, something that McLaren now have, and developed a triple decker diffuser, so how they can be deemed as ‘not innovative’ is anybody’s guess. Trulli was also a veteran and is good at helping in the development of cars and I think that if they didn’t pull out then they would have continued devoloping their car and would have been more of a contender this year.

  15. Aleksandar Serbia
    30th January 2010, 23:17

    I am astonished on how much judgment is being passed throughout this page!
    If Minardi would return to F1 everybody would be all nostalgic, with emotion and quick to forget on the performance they made throughout the years, or better if Tyrell would come back, jolly splendid, may they prosper and grow as they used to.
    Point being made is that you do not allow new wind to sweep through the boring and in need of new nation based team.
    I don’t care if they try and burn, but not be given the chance to do so, really puts a finger to the cream of F1 leadership that only the ones who are in EU, US or partnering based countries have prerogative to compete, far from a laudable statement!
    Be well and prosper

  16. Good news and good luck to them.

    I like Anthony Hamilton’s idea as well…

Comments are closed.