Motorsport Entries/Rumours that never came to be

H

Har1MAS1415

503
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Can include non-starters as technically they entered but never actually raced and tests that never went anywhere.

Largely inspired by the recent failure of Michael Andretti to buy Alfa Romeo/Sauber thus denying Colton Herta a potential 2022 F1 debut.

Colton's father Bryan Herta also tried unsuccessfully for a Minardi seat for 2003.
 
Prodrive entering in 2008, as a customer team. Was quite interesting to ponder when I first read about it in 2017.

In this case, the FIA granted them the spot in 2006 over Carlin, Direxiv, Pollock, Stoddart and Eddie Jordan, and it looked like they had the framework sorted out. They had a supply of Mercedes engines; by 2007, it was reckoned that they had a supply of McLaren chassis and there was even a bit of buzz that they would re-brand the team as Aston Martin at some point when they were actually racing.

Then the other teams pulled the carpet from under them by maintaining customer cars' disallowance under the 2008 version of the Concorde Agreement. Bit of a shame, to be honest - but then the number of UK-based F1 teams is still too damn high!
 
AbsoluteBarstool
Prodrive entering in 2008, as a customer team. Was quite interesting to ponder when I first read about it in 2017.

In this case, the FIA granted them the spot in 2006 over Carlin, Direxiv, Pollock, Stoddart and Eddie Jordan, and it looked like they had the framework sorted out. They had a supply of Mercedes engines; by 2007, it was reckoned that they had a supply of McLaren chassis and there was even a bit of buzz that they would re-brand the team as Aston Martin at some point when they were actually racing.

Then the other teams pulled the carpet from under them by maintaining customer cars' disallowance under the 2008 version of the Concorde Agreement. Bit of a shame, to be honest - but then the number of UK-based F1 teams is still too damn high!
Click to expand...
Yes, Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett were rumoured to be the intended drivers, I think Bruno Spengler was also a possibility.

Team Dubai and Direxiv intended to do likewise in 2006 and 2007. The latter intended to run Lewis Hamilton and Clivio Piccione.
 
Can include non-starters as technically they entered but never actually raced and tests that never went anywhere.

I'll start with GR Motorsport trying and failing to enter an ex-John Shields Motorsport Alfa Romeo 147 for Gordon Shedden in 2002.
 
Har1MAS1415
Yes, Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett were rumoured to be the intended drivers, I think Bruno Spengler was also a possibility.

Team Dubai and Direxiv intended to do likewise in 2006 and 2007. The latter intended to run Lewis Hamilton and Clivio Piccione.
Click to expand...
Reading into it, I'm surprised that Prodrive F1 never made it to the grid after their experience in running the BAR-Honda program, and then their attempt to buy the same program back from Honda. By extension, it's allowed Mercedes into the sport as a constructor and might have catalysed F1's awarding of entries to USF1, HRT, 1Malaysia and Manor. Weird times.
 
AbsoluteBarstool
Reading into it, I'm surprised that Prodrive F1 never made it to the grid after their experience in running the BAR-Honda program, and then their attempt to buy the same program back from Honda. By extension, it's allowed Mercedes into the sport as a constructor and might have catalysed F1's awarding of entries to USF1, HRT, 1Malaysia and Manor. Weird times.
Click to expand...
Yes, Prodrive also looked into possibly buying Renault at the end of 2009, Genii got there first.

USF1 would have run José Maria Lopez and James Rossiter though Adrian Valles was linked at one point. Naturally, a few American drivers were mentioned, including Danica Patrick, Scott Speed, JR Hildebrand and Jonathan Summerton.
 
1990s

DAMS (1995 with Erik Comas signed to drive) and DOME (1996) built complete cars, DOME even tested theirs, but never entered their own teams.

Lola built a car for 1995 (Allan McNish tested it) but declined to submit an entry until 1997 and we all know how that turned out.

Honda had two aborted efforts to enter F1; the effort in 1999 was closest and tested competitively but the death of technical director Harvey Postlethwaite saw Honda cancel its entry and focused on returning as a works engine supplier.

Edit: Lotus actually built a car for 1995 but, apart from the team closing down anyway, it had already failed the mandatory crash test.
 
Last edited:
1990s

After the works Mazda team collapsed, Slim Borgudd was supposed to race a Mazda 323F in 1995 under the Team Magic banner but it never happened despite appearing on the pre-season entry list.

There were two in 1998:

Andy Rouse built a single supertouring-spec Toyota Corolla with (I think) Patrick Watts lined up to drive. Having left in 1995, Toyota gave no factory support and Rouse couldn't find a backer to run as an independent so the entry never happened.

Alfa Corse appeared on the official entry list for 1998 with plans to enter the later rounds of the championship but never did in the end. Tarquini and Giovinardi were scheduled to appear in a pair of Alfa 156s.

In 1999, neither Colin Gallie, returning in his 1997 BMW 3-series, nor Gareth Howell's Ford Mondeo made an appearance despite promises.
 
Liquid
1990s

DAMS (1995 with Erik Comas signed to drive) and DOME (1996) built complete cars, DOME even tested theirs, but never entered their own teams.

Lola built a car for 1995 (Allan McNish tested it) but declined to submit an entry until 1997 and we all know how that turned out.

Honda had two aborted efforts to enter F1; the effort in 1999 was closest and tested competitively but the death of technical director Harvey Postlethwaite saw Honda cancel its entry and focused on returning as a works engine supplier.

Edit: Lotus actually built a car for 1995 but, apart from the team closing down anyway, it had already failed the mandatory crash test.
Click to expand...
DAMS: Jan Lammers also tested the car and I think Emmanuel Collard was in the frame.

Dome: Marco Apicella did most of the testing. Shinji Nakano and Naoki Hattori also had runs in the car.

Honda: Jos Verstappen did most of the testing and Nicolas Minassian had a run.

Lotus would have retained Mika Salo and Alex Zanardi.

The Lola T97/30 was linked to a 1998 entry under Zoran Stefanovich who later tried to enter Stefan GP in the 2010 season with what would have been the 2010 Toyota. Kazuki Nakajima and Jacques Villeneuve were the intended drivers.
 
Lola really did have a T95/30 though. It looked terrible.

Lola_F1_Test_Car.jpg


au3EKSqDRLmOGQ4Y93lpCg
 
Liquid
1990s

After the works Mazda team collapsed, Slim Borgudd was supposed to race a Mazda 323F in 1995 under the Team Magic banner but it never happened despite appearing on the pre-season entry list.

There were two in 1998:

Andy Rouse built a single supertouring-spec Toyota Corolla with (I think) Patrick Watts lined up to drive. Having left in 1995, Toyota gave no factory support and Rouse couldn't find a backer to run as an independent so the entry never happened.

Alfa Corse appeared on the official entry list for 1998 with plans to enter the later rounds of the championship but never did in the end. Tarquini and Giovinardi were scheduled to appear in a pair of Alfa 156s.

In 1999, neither Colin Gallie, returning in his 1997 BMW 3-series, nor Gareth Howell's Ford Mondeo made an appearance despite promises.
Click to expand...
Jamie Spence was also linked to the 1998 Andy Rouse Toyota Corolla entry.

Alfa Romeo would have run Fabrizio Giovanardi and Nicola Larini in 1998.

THAT Gareth Howell was also supposed to enter the 1993 Season in a Ford Sapphire.

Mercedes were due to enter the 1993 Season with Tim Sugden and possibly Bernd Schneider. Prodrive would have been behind the entry after splitting with BMW.

Prodrive were rumoured to be linked with a possible Fiat entry before linking up with Mercedes.
 
Liquid
Lola really did have a T95/30 though. It looked terrible.

Lola_F1_Test_Car.jpg


au3EKSqDRLmOGQ4Y93lpCg
Click to expand...
I know, I never disputed that, I just remembered the 97 car driven by Ricardo Rosset and Vincenzo Sospiri was acquired by Stefan GP for a possible 1998 entry.

Beatrice/Force/Haas-Lola had a THL3 chassis in the pipeline for the 1987 Season.
 
I don't actually mind that Lola, the low level engine cover makes it look quite different. But 1994/5/6 was a bad year for F1 designs in general. Teams rarely did get those high, pointy noses looking alright.

TWR and Dome's test cars from 1996:

vers_bridgestone_test_1996-1-1300-x-855-1210x642.jpg


40860482_1374650002666211_3730421989861490688_n.jpg
 
TheCracker
I don't actually mind that Lola, the low level engine cover makes it look quite different. But 1994/5/6 was a bad year for F1 designs in general. Teams rarely did get those high, pointy noses looking alright.

TWR and Dome's test cars from 1996:

View attachment 1097501

View attachment 1097502
Click to expand...
That's an Arrows turned into a Bridgestone test hack I believe.

If that's the Dome then I've never seen it in that livery.
 
They tested the Dome F105 at Aida in front of a huge crowd (as seen in the pic). It was tested several times, but only appeared in 7 Eleven livery at this event.

It is the Arrows FA17 from the previous season. Bridgestone also tested their '96 tyres preseason in a previous-season Liger (painted just white with a few Bridgestone decals and driven by Max's dad)
 
TheCracker
They tested the Dome F105 at Aida in front of a huge crowd (as seen in the pic). It was tested several times, but only appeared in 7 Eleven livery at this event.

It is the Arrows FA17 from the previous season. Bridgestone also tested their '96 tyres preseason in a previous-season Liger (painted just white with a few Bridgestone decals and driven by Max's dad)
Click to expand...
Damon Hill also tested the Bridgestone-liveried Ligier prior to his switch to Arrows.
 
Can include non-starters as technically they entered but never actually raced and tests that never went anywhere.

All I can think of right now is the Norma M6 that entered the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours. Never fired up, consequently DNQ'd, all because of the MGN W12 engine that proved even worse than its Life counterpart. The AGS F1 team dodged a bullet there.
 
Last edited:
Har1MAS1415
I know what you meant.

Just saying the 2017 Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro never raced.

Also there was the Alfa Romeo SE048SP from 1990.
Click to expand...
yeah, was going to post the Alfa and other group C as well. However, I thought it was ideal to point out the difference between the Hybrid4 and the HY, so others who don't know may learn the distinction.

2008 HY that never raced
 

Latest Posts

Back