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F1: Prodrive Interested In Buying Cosworth

Prodrive interested in buying Cosworth Mercedes designing 'completely new' 2013 car – Lauda Ferrari updates 'no great revolution' – Gene Red Bull spent EUR 245m for 2011 title – report Di Resta hints at Force


  • Prodrive interested in buying Cosworth
  • Mercedes designing 'completely new' 2013 car - Lauda
  • Ferrari updates 'no great revolution' - Gene
  • Red Bull spent EUR 245m for 2011 title - report
  • Di Resta hints at Force India stay
  • Red Bull could rescue New York's F1 race

Prodrive interested in buying Cosworth

Prodrive boss David Richards has admitted he is interested in buying F1 engine supplier Cosworth.

It emerged last week that HRT and Marussia supplier Cosworth, currently owned by well-known US racing names Gerry Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven, is for sale.

And former BAR and Benetton boss Richards, the majority owner of Prodrive, told the Daily Mail:

"We've just started to take a look at Cosworth although I think they have rather over-priced themselves as I understand they don't own the brand and they will be out of the formula one business within 12 months.

"Nonetheless, worth a look," he added.

Paddock rumours persist that Cosworth, having entered the aerospace and defense sectors after losing premier F1 customers Williams and Caterham, will bow out of F1 when the current V8 rules end next year.

Cosworth declined to comment on the Daily Mail report.

(GMM)

Mercedes designing 'completely new' 2013 car - Lauda

Mercedes is working on a "completely new car" for the 2013 season, Niki Lauda has revealed.

Lauda, the F1 legend and triple world champion, is Mercedes' brand new non-executive chairman -- the main link between the Stuttgart carmaker and the Ross Brawn-led, UK-based team.

With this year's W03, Nico Rosberg won in Shanghai and Michael Schumacher lapped the quickest in qualifying at Monaco, but otherwise the silver machine has often been a disappointment.

With the regulations staying essentially stable next year, ahead of the radical changes for 2014, most teams are working on evolutions of their current cars for next season.

But with Lewis Hamilton arriving from McLaren for 2013, simply evolving the W03 is not going to be Mercedes' approach, Austrian Lauda suggested to the broadcaster RTL.

"We are working on a concept for a completely new car.  The current one is simply not fast enough," he said.

(GMM)

Ferrari updates 'no great revolution' - Gene

Ferrari has travelled to India with some improvements for its 2012 car, test driver Marc Gene has revealed.

Despite admitting its wind tunnel has not always been up to scratch this year, the Italian team remains determined to fight back after Fernando Alonso lost his long-standing championship lead to Red Bull's on-form Sebastian Vettel two weeks ago in Korea.

Spaniard Gene is quoted by the EFE news agency as admitting Ferrari has brought "a number of improvements" to India, the fourth-last stop on the 2012 calendar, but insisted it does not add up to a "great revolution".

"But we do hope they help," he said.

"All the time there are less and less races, so we are doing everything to end the championship with even a single point more than second place," added Gene.

Spain's Marca newspaper said the changes to the F2012 are in the area of the exhaust, the wings and the diffuser, amounting to "between 0.2 and 0.4 seconds" per lap.

Chief designer Nicholas Tombazis confirmed Ferrari tried the improvements during a straightline track test last week, after finding that parts tested only in the wind tunnel ahead of recent grands prix brought "unpleasant surprises".

"We ran control tests on these updates to really understand what the problem was.  We got some very interesting answers which we believe will allow us to recover from those problems," he said.

F1 legend Niki Lauda, however, warned that it might already be too late for Ferrari, particularly as he has heard that Red Bull has also travelled to India with some car developments.

"If that goes well (for Red Bull), then it becomes very difficult for Alonso," he told the broadcaster RTL.

(GMM)

Red Bull spent EUR 245m for 2011 title - report

Red Bull has the standout budget among F1's UK-based teams, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Citing British companies data, the magazine said Red Bull Technology - the Red Bull Racing parent - had a budget of EUR 245 million in 2011 as Sebastian Vettel sped to his back-to-back drivers' world championship.

Auto Motor und Sport said Red Bull's budget last year was EUR 42 million higher than in 2010.

Brackley based Mercedes, meanwhile, reportedly spent just EUR 145 million in 2011 -- a full EUR 100 million less than Red Bull.

Lotus' 2011 budget was a reported EUR 155m, compared to Williams' 111m.

McLaren's figures are pending.

But the news about Red Bull coincides with a fresh wave of speculation in the paddock about the energy drink-owned team's defiance in the face of the teams-governed Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA).

McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh, however, fell short of accusing Red Bull of cheating.

"If they are ahead of us, it's because they've done the better job," he said.

(GMM)

Di Resta hints at Force India stay

Paul di Resta has all but confirmed suggestions he will stay at Force India in 2013.

Earlier, the Scot was linked with the McLaren and Ferrari vacancies for next year, but those top teams have now pushed ahead with alternative plans.

Di Resta, 26, hinted to Britain's Sky Sports that his ambition to switch to a top team has fallen short for now.

"You always want to be linked with these seats and thankfully I was," he said.  "The best thing to hope for is that I'll get a (top) seat one day."

The Scot all but confirmed he is staying at Force India next year.

"I've always said I want to be winning races and championships, but whoever I'll drive for I'll be 100 per cent committed, driving the car as fast as I can and taking it to new levels," he said.

(GMM)

Red Bull could rescue New York's F1 race

Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink and championship-winning F1 team owner, could be the saviour of the embattled New York grand prix.

Bernie Ecclestone has reportedly told a motor racing website that billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz should step in to fund the race, after organisation and funding shortfalls forced the delay of the inaugural event, which had been scheduled for 2013.

Christian Sylt, the F1 business journalist who recorded Ecclestone's Red Bull quote, said he thinks the sport's chief executive is serious.

"In the absence of state support, I think the only way the grand prix of America can proceed is if a wealthy backer gets behind it.

"Red Bull certainly has the resources to do so and it clearly has an interest in promoting its brand in the area," Sylt told the New Jersey newspaper Star-Ledger.

"It is also worth mentioning that Ecclestone told me that if a backer comes on board very soon there is a possibility that the race could take place next year," he added.

(GMM)

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