Lola also not entering F1 in 2011

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Lola have followed Prodrive’s lead by saying they are not applying to enter an F1 team in 2011.

Lola was another of the teams that submitted an entry for 2010 but was turned down in favour of other entries. They later displayed a model of the 2010 F1 car they had designed.

Executive chairman and owner Martin Birrane said in a statement that despite having developed a car for this year they would not use it for 2011:

A 2010 entry under the cost capped and performance balanced criteria was perfect for Lola. We already have F1 standard facilities at our headquarters in Huntingdon.

Sadly our well-developed 2010 F1 project, which included a significant wind tunnel programme, had to be frozen in June 2009. The recently announced applications for 2011 has left us with insufficient time to prepare for what would be a quite different programme.
Martin Birrane

This could be a reference to the anticipated technical changes for 2011 including the double diffuser ban and a move towards low-profile tyres, which would force them to re-think their 2010 F1 car design.

Read more: Prodrive not making 2011 F1 application

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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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51 comments on “Lola also not entering F1 in 2011”

  1. ugggh, please let epsilon get it, please dont send us another USF1. That just wouldn’t be worth the upset.

    Four new teams this year, another rookie team next year. The grid could really do with some stability. I suppose multiteared racing has always been F1s thing but I kind of prefered it when the whole field had a chance at points.

    1. Yeah they’d get my vote too I reckon. They look like a very professional outfit, kind of like a Spanish McLaren:

      http://www.epsiloneuskadi.com/epsilon/menu.aspx?IdSeccionPublica=1&IdMenuPublico=27&language=2

      I think they might have to come up with a better name though. Ep- sil- on Eus- ka- di doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue…

      1. Look at the Sponsors! Give them the place an they’ll be no question about making the grid. Come on FIA, do us a good un’

        I know you can do it Mr Todt.

      2. To follow Hispania’s lead, why not Epsilon Racing Group? Or, ERG.

        (Physics majors should be chuckling around about now)

      3. Their LMP1 car looks awesome too. Like a cross between a bentley speed 8 and a peugeot 908.

  2. This is the problem with the FIA opening up entries (rightly enough so that the teams have a decent amount of time to be selected and then prepare) whilst the technical regs are not finalised.

    Regardless, I suspect the main issue is the lack of cost cap in this case.

  3. Nice to see that the FIA has run off two of the most promising candidates. For some reason I still think Lola and Prodrive would be a lot closer to the pace than Virgin, Lotus, or HRT is.

  4. So Lola will not be applying because there will not be enough time for them, a team who already have the facilities, to be ready.

    Ideally the technical regulations should be signed off at least a year before the season they will apply to and the list of teams should be finalised at the same time, to give them plenty of time to get ready. Unfortunately circumstances mean this hasn’t been possible for 2011, hopefully in the future it will be the case.

    The team which does get the final grid slot for 2011 may well be in a worse position than this years new teams.

    It looks like they could be granted their place about the same time of year as the 2010 new teams were and the regulations will not be finalised when they submit their entry.

    The advantage of a few new teams joining all at once is that, while they will be off the pace of the established runners at least they will be able to have their own private battle between themselves. Whereas when it is just one new team joining there is more of a chance that they will be always at the back of the field on there own.

    1. East Londoner
      15th April 2010, 18:47

      Lola don’t want a repeat of the 1997 disaster, hence the reason why they haven’t entered.

      Keeping in mind that they only had 3 months to design that car, in an era where costs weren’t as high as today, its probably a good idea.

      Shame though.

    2. Ideally the technical regulations should be signed off at least a year before the season they will apply to and the list of teams should be finalised at the same time, to give them plenty of time to get ready. Unfortunately circumstances mean this hasn’t been possible for 2011, hopefully in the future it will be the case.

      Agreed; it’s pretty silly.

  5. I see that saying your not making an F1 car is the new black, in terms of marketing that is.

    So I’d like to throw my hat into the ring and state that I will not be applying to enter F1 in 2011.

    Here’s a picture of my 2010 entry.
    http://img.alibaba.com/photo/290192207/Flashing-lights-Scale-1-12-RC-Racing-F1-Formula-one-Car-Radio-Remote-control-Cars-Toys.jpg

    1. You put lights in the sidepods and airbox??

      I imagine this would have been something the other teams would initially question the legality of, before hastily making it a feature on their own cars.

      Also it appears you had considerable, if dubious, sponsorship.

      1. That was the Singapore race specification, hence the lights.

        The batteries you see were from our KERS, we had everything figured out but we had a deal with Tyco to provide us with 9.6v motors, the FIA was adamant we should use Cosworths instead.

        1. You guys made my day :-D

        2. Great stuff ! LOL

  6. Ummmm, sometimes I say really silly things, so bear that in mind when I say that considering the process of actually choosing a team to race next year will take at least a few months, It might leave, if they are lucky half a year to build and design F1 standard Facilities, personnel structures and Construction techniques.

    Oh, did I mention they had to build a car too? 2 actually. with spare parts! It seems that this time frame, along with the notion of major rule changes likely to be made at really really inconsiderate times, leaves very little chance that we will actually get a real entry.

    I can’t see a team of F1 standards wanting to be put through what the F1 circus has designed for them…

    1. Yes. Under the circumstances I’m actually impressed USF1 were as far along as they were, and far more impressed with the three teams that actually made it to the grid with such little time to develop their cars.

  7. Such a shame we won’t be seeing Lola or Prodrive in F1 anytime soon.

    I struggle to see how USF1 were allowed in ahead of these two for the 2010 season.

    1. The “3P” principle: Politics, Predetermination and Pressure. Specifically, Mosely was aware that the “I” in FIA is “internationale” and he had nothing at all from North America (no team, driver, chassis, engine from a hugely potential demographic); pressure from FOM/Ecclestone to reach into a lucrative market; and the predetermination that ANY North American entry was better than a third European one.
      Secondarily, perhaps, Anderson/Windsor were prepared to roll over and accept the predetermined condition that Cosworth were sole choice for engine supply.

  8. I have to ask is F1 going to die in the not to distant future.
    Some of the best prospects were not given 2010 places, and are not tying for 2011 places.
    We have lost several manufacturer teams, and how secure are the ones still running?
    The biggest car markets are USA and China, and we probably won’t be at either next year. Will that persuade other manufactures to pull out?
    The new tracks are either boring or not attended or both.
    The limited budget looks like it will have to be ditched, so that all the changes for 2011 can be incorporated.
    So who in their right minds would put in an application for 2011?

    1. We have more teams than we had in the last 15 years, three new teams have joined this year (what was the last time that happened), we have several world champions on the grid, plus young drivers from potential future markets.
      Doesn’t sound like F1 is going to die very soon.
      And since three of the four chosen teams have made it to the grid despite several rule changes and political uncertainty in the middle of a global crisis means that they were propably not the worst teams to choose from.

      1. I think one of the issues with 2011 new entry is the fact it’s just a single entry. This means you will have the “established” teams which will by then include the teams that are new this year then you will have a single new team that are off the pace and will be a hopeless backwater team. In 2010 you have 3 “hopless” backwater teams that is running their own series. But they at least have themselves to fight and to get the honor of possible become the best of the new teams. Next year one new team will be the last team and yet the best of the new teams. For sponsor deals I could see if your the best of the new teams it has a value but when your the only new team well all that is going to be shown and seen is your way off the others and no chance of points. Of the two years to enter I would say yes for 2010 but no for 2011. Technical regulation wise 10 might actually be harder then 11 because of the double diffusers, narrower front tires, no refueling. With no double diffusers this means one less thing to try to get right. If I was a new team the year I would liked to enter would been 09 with slicks back and all other major regulation changes that “reset” all the teams. The longer a car chassis is allowed to be developed the faster the existing teams will be over a new team because they have had so long to fine tune everything.
        Of course if KERS is mandatory for 11 from technical standpoint for a new team that could be a nightmare unless a nice deal could be had with engine manufacture so you don’t have to develop it yourself (RedBull was supposed to ran Renaults KERS but RedBull opted to not bolt it in after all same for Force India with Mercedes).

        1. Maybe a solution would be changing the way money is distributed: all participants get a guaranteed share of the revenue – to be upped for performance and off course historical value (the ferrari factor!).
          That would make every entry more viable and tied with the resource restrictions would ensure a larger proportion of the grid could actually win a race.
          It would create an incentive for every team to make sure the commercial ‘cake’ is large enough for everybody instead of making sure that rival teams don’t get too competitive and meddle with their points scoring (equalling revenue). It would be more focus on the show as a whole, making sure that it remains attractive.
          Kind of NFL/NHL/NBA-like if you will.
          Would never happen though – just a thought I wanted a share …

    2. Prisoner Monkeys
      16th April 2010, 0:52

      Some of the best prospects were not given 2010 places, and are not tying for 2011 places.

      You’re just assuming they were the best prospects you cannot know for sure. For all we know, there was some fatal flaw in Lola’s submission to the 2010 grid. We already know there was one in Prodrive’s: they’d applied to the grid in the past and failed to materialise. Whatever the circumstances behind it, why should the FIA have taken a chance on them again? If they had made it clear they needed a customer chassis in 2007, how were they suddenly able to develop their own car two years later?

  9. Personally, I think we should club together and put forward an F1 Fanatic entry. We’ve already got a Team Principal and a whole load of people who know about racing, tactics and aerodynamics. If anyone has a spare wind tunnel in their garage, let me know!

    1. I got a big fan and a big warehouse. Guess we are set?

      1. Well, we’re already doing better than USF1.

        1. As long as we’re using Cosworth power we’ll sure to have a chance at getting in !

    2. Can I drive? :D

      1. I call Shotgun for the team transporter..!!

        1. I volunteer to select the girls for the promo team !

      2. I’ll do Refreshments…the girls will get thirsty!

  10. East Londoner
    15th April 2010, 18:44

    Whatever you do FIA, do not give the remaining slot to USF1 or Stefan GP, because neither of them deserve it. Epsilon should get it.

    1. USF1 is dead. Place was completely shutdown and everyone was laid-off back in March.

  11. No team will work well if the rules for next year are not clear yet…

    no experience + undeveloped car (as always with new teams) + no time to design (from strach literrally) + small team with limited resources = a rubbish team, lapping hours slower than the others.

    Maybe FIA should start looking for teams to compete not before 2012… so they can start planning, developing, hiring people, building factories sooner with less stress because of the limited time…

    1. Trouble is that a team can only do limited work when the technical regulations for the following year aren’t set. The extra team for 2008 was picked in 2006 and they still didn’t make it.

  12. Seem’s my RSS feed is not updating with new items Keith, is there anything I can do to get it working again?

    1. Just seen the round up (which I missed) with the info about feedburner, here’s hoping you can sort the problem out soon.

  13. I think Lotus, Virgin and HRT’s results were the guinea pigs in both Prodrive and Lolas decision. The new teams will always lag at the start from the beginning. No team wants to invest coupious amounts of money to be at the back of the grid and times are tough as is getting major sponsorship.

    Being honest I still wonder from time to time what the breakaway series could have been……

    1. Nothing, absolutely nothing. By now we’d see the project having collapsed in a matter that’d make USF1 look like a highly professional and completely planned program and Ferrari along with McLaren announcing their intent to rejoin F1 in 2011, being most likely candidates to fill the 6 spots to fill

      1. I disagree. It did after all have the support and therefore assistance of manufacturers. To compare a series that collectively amongst teams with 130-150 years of racing experience to USF1 is just down right stupid.

        I believe and still do to this day that it would be a success. The sports direction is currently being run by a geriatric whose main purpose is profit maximisation for a hedge fund, nothing more. As a result the package to the fans has been compromised. One day he will realise, but without the fans the sport is nothing.

        1. I think that breakaway series would have had a major achilles heel: you need an independent referee to write and watch over the rules.
          Ferrari could have objected to the f-duct and have it forbidden or break away, back to F1 again. Or they could open up the number of engines, considering their current problems – to which the others might object … and so on and so on
          Now the FIA at least tries to play that role. In that respect, Bernie is right IMHO

          1. All FOTA need have done is hire a lawyer to legally wrtite up whatever rules they all agreed to, then sign that they all would abide by those rules. Then hire some experienced motorracing officials, or even guys with umpteen years of marshalling could have been put on the payroll to officiate. It could have been done.

          2. In DTM the teams manage their own series. Each team contributes employees for the organisation.

  14. Anyone want to chip in with me and buy USF1’s trailers off ebay and go for an entry? That seemed to be about all they had ready… ;p

  15. it seems like that at the end of the day USF1 will get the slot without any competition.

  16. Certainly does seem to be a dearth of entries for the 2011 slot. Predictable, though. Who wants to buy a pig in a poke? Or have FiA change everything at the last minute, as they did when ProDrive said thanks but no thanks over the decision to not have customer cars after all.

    FiA is responsible to a great degree for the failure, or poor performance, of brand new teams building from scratch. FiA made what I feel are some bad choices in the selection process for 2010, and they didn’t have clear and concrete tech regs out far enough in advance. The ridiculous restrictions on testing also were no help to fledgling teams. And speaking of help and teams, where is all the help FOTA promised the new guys? The term “lip service” comes to mind.

    Someone commented that politics may have had a lot to do with the process. I wouldn’t doubt that. Money had a lot to do with it, too, through Bernie’s pressure. It’s a sad commentary that FiA is more concerned about such things, and less concerned about the sport. But I’ve done the sport vs show rant often enough, I won’t bore anyone with it again.

    I will comment on FiA’s selections, though. Barf! Alright, not the most intellectual of comments, but heartfelt. Lotus was the one thing they did good. Mike Gascoyne is going to make Colin proud, in the end. Doubt it not. Virgin couldn’t even design a fuel tank of the proper size, Hormone Replacement Terapy dang near didn’t make it to the grid, and is having nearly as much trouble3 making it to the race finish, and USF1…well, what can I say that hasn’t already been said. Horrible disappointment, there.

    And how, exactly, did Epsilon NOT get a slot for 2010? Established company, experinced in design, construction, and campaigning of race cars at various levels, including LMP. $000 sq meter factory with their own wind tunnel. It would have made such perfect sense to give them a slot. Oh, I’ve gone and answered my own question.

    I also agree that FiA should hammer out some concrete rules for 2012 and accept applications for 2012 starting now, with a final decision on successful entrants no later than the end of the 2010 season. That would give new teams sufficient time to prepare, and existing teams a clear vision of what is to come. Would also be easier to attract sponsorship, knowing that early that the grid slot is a lock.

    Further, I believe those rules should be locked in through the 2015 season at least. That would be the first 3 years of the new Concorde. Oh, yeah, by the way FiA and FOTA, let’s get the 2013 Concorde signed sometime before 2016, okay ?

    1. dang my errant SHIFT key…that was to be 4,000 square meter factory

  17. Is it just me or does that Lola model look remarkably like the Ferrari F10? I know that picture was release months before the Ferrari was launched, but it looks like they were on the right track until they froze the programme.

  18. Funny how hardly anyone seems to be talking about the cost capping any more. I guess the credit crunch is over…

  19. Hi there can I use some of the information found in this post if I reference you with a link back to your site?

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