F1 Entries/Rumours that never happened

[Har1MAS1415]

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

Bryan Herta tried unsuccessfully for a Minardi seat for 2003.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Interesting thread subject.

A few that quickly spring to mind are:

Cosworth designed and produced their own F1 Car in the early 70's which they never raced.

In 1991 Jordan's first choice of driver was Keke Rosberg who they had actively chased for some time but he turned them down.

James Hunt had three attempted comebacks. In 1980 he was due to replace Prost at McLaren for one race but Hunt broke his leg skiing. In 1982 he turned down an offer for a one year deal at Brabham and in 1990 he tested and considered a comeback for Williams.

In 1993 McLaren tested a modified version of the MP4/8 adapted to take the Lamborghini V12 engine. The engine proved to be much quicker than the Ford V8 but not as reliable. Ultimately the team opted for the Peugeot deal which as we all know, went really well.

The Andrea Moda Chassis was based on an unused design by Simtek which was originally built for a BMW F1 entry in 1989 however they pulled out before the car ran.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Mansell tested for Mclaren in 1995 & jordan in 1996

US F1 entry that never was & Danica Patrick was supposed to be there big name

the obvious 1 that was signed & sealed was kubica at Ferrari 2012

every driver of age to ferrari in 2012

Damon Hill at McLaren & Ferrari in 1997

Senna to ferrari in 1996

 

[siffert_fan]

That 1969 Cosworth car may be the ugliest ever:

 

[The Artist.....]

Mansell tested for Mclaren in 1995 & jordan in 1996

Mansell went a step further than just testing for McLaren... He "raced" for McLaren at Imola and Barcelona... He didn't race earlier in the season, as he didn't fit in the car!

In terms of teams that didn't ever make it into F1, there's a litany of them - some with more progress than others. From memory:

• Stefan GP bought up all of Toyota's assets, and thought that they'd bought an entry into F1, but never made it.
• USF1 famously started to build a chassis, but never got much beyond building a single tub
• Prodrive, in 2008(?) had struck a deal with McLaren to basically buy much of the chassis and gearbox (in the same model as Super Aguri). This was blocked by (I think) the Honda team
• In 1999, Honda tested an F1 chassis, masterminded by Harvey Postlethwaite. Postlethwaite's death also spelt the death of the project.
• Also in the 1990s (~1995?) the Japanese manufacturer, Dome developed a test chassis (powered by Mugen Honda engines) with a view of entering F1 the year after
• BMW looked to enter F1 in 1992, and Nick Wirth developed a chassis for a BMW engine, with active suspension. Ultimately, BMW passed on the idea, but the design work was still done, which became the Simtek chassis in 1994. Part of the reason that Simtek struggled was that the chassis design was two years old. The other part was that it was designed to work with active suspension.
• Reynard (1991?) developed a stillborn F1 project, led by Rory Byrne. It was Reynard that developed the raised nose concept (admittedly already raced by Tyrrell, but taken a step further) that went to Benetton. Essentially, much of the IP for the Reynard F1 car became the B191/B192ish. Strangely, the IP also made its way to the Pacific team, which explained why the 1994 Pacific bore such a striking resemblance to the 1992 Benetton.

 

[gethinceri]

Craig Bollock was a non-starter with his PURE engine programme.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Mansell went a step further than just testing for McLaren... He "raced" for McLaren at Imola and Barcelona... He didn't race earlier in the season, as he didn't fit in the car!

ah i always thought his final race was adelaide 1994

 

[Il_leone]

I remember hearing that the Reynard team were suppose to get Yamaha engines the same ones that Tyrell got for 1992

Adrian Reynard thought BAR would keep the tradition of Reynard winning their debut race in 1999

 

[The Artist.....]

Il_leone - I didn't know that - those Yamaha engines were a little bit of a poisoned chalice... Free engines, but they were terrible...

That being said - I didn't realise that the '93 onwards Yamaha engine was basically a modified Judd engine...

 

[cider_and_toast]

BMW looked to enter F1 in 1992, and Nick Wirth developed a chassis for a BMW engine, with active suspension. Ultimately, BMW passed on the idea, but the design work was still done, which became the Simtek chassis in 1994. Part of the reason that Simtek struggled was that the chassis design was two years old. The other part was that it was designed to work with active suspension.

The Simtek project for BMW was before 92. The original Simtek chassis design ended up as the Andrea Moda S921 from 1992 which Nick Worth had designed in 89/90 For BMW. That's what later went on to form the basis of the first Simtek.

 

[The Artist.....]

cider_and_toast - of course it did - I completely forgot about the Andrea Moda link. The team arrived at the first race with a Coloni chassis, that they weren’t allowed to race - because they had bought the team, but hadn’t bought the rights to the car (or something like that).

Andrea Moda is an interesting case, as when they ran the simtek chassis, they initially showed up with, shall we say, a rudimentary front wing…. it improved with input from other teams, but not much. It was still amazing that Moreno qualified for Monaco!

 

[cider_and_toast]

I completely forgot about the Andrea Moda link.

I think everyone, and especially Perry McCarthy and Roberto Moreno, has been trying to do that for almost 30 years.

How Moreno managed to get that shit heap of a car on to the grid at Monaco in 92, coming through pre qualifying and qualifying remains one of the biggest mysteries in F1 history.

 

[FB]

A thread where discussed engines which had come and gone, often not even making it in to a car - Strange F1 Engines

 

[Il_leone]

Il_leone - I didn't know that - those Yamaha engines were a little bit of a poisoned chalice... Free engines, but they were terrible...

That being said - I didn't realise that the '93 onwards Yamaha engine was basically a modified Judd engine...

I vaguely remember Brabham were going to lose Yamaha engines after a poor 1991 and sorry Jordan got the engines for 1992 and Reynard were rumoured to be interested coming as well. Not sure if Yamaha could supply two teams then

 

[cider_and_toast]

I vaguely remember Brabham were going to lose Yamaha engines after a poor 1991 and Tyrell got the engines for 1992 and Reynard were rumoured to be interested coming as well

Nope, Jordan switched from the customer Ford Engine and got the Yamaha works deal in 1992. They dropped from 5th in the Championship to 11th that year. Eddie dropped them like a hot potato and switched to Hart for 93.

Tyrell and March used the Ilmor engine in 92. March used the same in 93 while Tyrell took over the Jordan deal and finished plum last in the constructors championship without a single point.

 

[Il_leone]

At the end of the turbo era Mclaren had offers about which engine to go with

Porsche funded by Mclaren had an engine plan to present to Ron Dennis... the guy who did it pulled it out of his pocket unfolding the blue print design of the proposal on to the table. Ron Dennis said thank you but no thanks


In regards to the Honda deal there was apparent concern from Mclaren that Ford would build a V12 engine but lucky for them they ended up with V8 Ford HB

 

[Il_leone]

Nope, Jordan switched from the customer Ford Engine and got the Yamaha works deal in 1992. They dropped from 5th in the Championship to 11th that year. Eddie dropped them like a hot potato and switched to Hart for 93.

Tyrell and March used the Ilmor engine in 92. March used the same in 93 while Tyrell took over the Jordan deal and finished plum last in the constructors championship without a single point.

I realised I got my teams mixed up but Reynard were supposedly interested for 1992

 

[cider_and_toast]

And the Ford HB had already been in the back of the Benetton since 1989.

I don't think there's any chance they would have built a V12.

 

[Il_leone]

And the Ford HB had already been in the back of the Benetton since 1989.

I don't think there's any chance they would have built a V12.

It was around 1987-1988 they were suggestions when Ford went to normally aspirated was it a V8 or V12 which were allowed as well V10 in the rules
V12s were considered powerful but fuel thirsty and Honda were committed to doing v10 before developing v12 if they felt confident too. They were worried that Ford would steal a march on them

 

[cider_and_toast]

Normally aspirated V12's were always Ferrari's thing. In fact I think there was a week of national mourning when they switched to a V10 in 96.

After the end of the first Turbo era, I think it was only Lambo and Life that built 12 cylinder engines. Life's being the horrendous W12.