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Tony Teixeira - another who thinks F1 owes him?


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#1 Imperial

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 16:11

A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira has been speaking out today against both the customer-car situation and about Force India.

On the customer car situation Teixeira has revealed he was looking into a buy-out of Spyker but stepped aside to leave Vijay Mallya have it, on the 'advice' of Bernie Ecclestone. He then was close to buying out Toro Rosso but dropped out of it after realising he would no longer be able to field a customer car and thus would be at the back of the pack week in week out.

Is the world supposed to care about this, to shed countless tears for the Teixeira's and Dave Richards of this world, who want an easy buy-in to the big time?

I certainly don't care. I've got zero respect for these guys who want to buy success. There's nothing sporting about that. Money talks in F1 of course, but I'd rather see Williams struggle for a few seasons, as they have done, and then fight their way back up the field than somebody come along and sign a big cheque for another team to do everything for them bar drive the cars on a Sunday.

His reasoning for wanting a team was that he wanted A1GP race winners to be able to strut their stuff in a highly placed F1 car. So, a mobile advert for a rival series in other words? That's all it could be. If he was sincere about giving guys a taste of F1 then he'd have been content with letting them take the Super Aguri role of propping up the back of the grid. Wanting a car to be able to achieve results suggests only that he wanted to be noticed.

On to his discussion of Force India, Teixeira is bemoaning that it sends out the wrong message to Indians, because Force India cannot win a race. He's also complaining that Force India don't have Indian drivers. Well, I can say I have a lot more respect for Vijay Mallya. If ever a guy could come into F1 and buy whatever he wants then there's a man who could. He, thus far, hasn't done that though. He could have placed any Indian driver he wanted in the team if it was only about publicity and sending messages to Indian kids. Instead he's doing it the right way, building the team up slowly and maybe in the future if India has a driver deserving of being in F1 then he'll give that person a race seat.

Don't get me wrong, I still have my suspicions that Mallya is just the latest in a line of money-men who have bought into the F1 dream and I think there's every chance he too could get bored of F1 when he realises just how tough it is and he'll be gone quicker than you can say "remind me what Jordan is called this season".

It took long enough to rid F1 of Paul Stoddart. Another guy who bought into the dream then did nothing but complain about how unfair the whole F1 thing is. The last thing we need is Tony Teixeira popping his head over the parapet only to complain about how hard and unjust life in F1 is.

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#2 ehagar

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 19:00

I completely disagree. Prior to Bernie's F1 there were plenty of outfits that basically bought equipment and went racing. Rob Walker did it. Frank Williams did it.

What I don't want to see is another Andrea Moda.

#3 pacificquay

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 19:23

He doesn't think F1 "owes him" at all.

He's explained his reasons for not being in it, and isn't in it.

End of story really.

#4 iuut

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 19:28

you do realize williams started off with customer cars. but i agree that everyone should build their own cars.

#5 Fatgadget

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 19:31

The days of bitsa F1 cars headed by mavericks the like of Bernie and Frank and Paul and Eddie are looong gone. If big companies like Honda and Toyota and Ford, companies with unlimited resources struggle in the midfield,what chances an individual having a look in? Aint gonna happen in a month of Sundays.

#6 917k

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 23:59

All of Tony's talk, about the series [A1GP] moving to profitability and big sanction fee's, sounds so like Kalkhovan talking up Champcar............a few months later they are bankrupt.

The series, although enjoyable, will be a money pit forever, IMO.

#7 PassWind

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 04:38

Originally posted by 917k
All of Tony's talk, about the series [A1GP] moving to profitability and big sanction fee's, sounds so like Kalkhovan talking up Champcar............a few months later they are bankrupt.

The series, although enjoyable, will be a money pit forever, IMO.


See what the drawing power of Ferrari will bring first before we condemn them.

#8 LOTI

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 06:34

Without customer cars, the grid will be down to 9 teams and at least two of the top teams will have to run three cars, since I understand that the deal is for twenty cars. Is it not better to have two or three customer teams rather than larger existing ones. With so many standard parts coming on the cars, does it really matter that much. I think it would be more interesting to have a small customer team rather than just a third car in an existing one. Either that or Bernie pays the back of the grid enough to go racing.
Loti

#9 Viki

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 07:26

Absolutely agreed! Nice thread Imperial.

I don’t know much neither of Teixeira nor Mallya and their intentions, but “Force India”(earlier Spyker) already captured my attention a bit. Mainly, they got my respect for taking Giancarlo, who is not just very experienced driver and knows the world F-1 world from inside, but is highly intelligent person too. When he described his new team as an ambitious project, he is proud to be a part of, it just came to my mind that we really do not have any owners of these new teams, who would be “living a dream” like Lewis for example. All these new owners care is about advertisement and quick success, about money, but none has live-long plan to stay in the sport, to love it and understand it.

And here I wouldn’t be so hard with Paul Stoddart at all. Some of his complains were valid and the guy still seems to care what is going on in the paddock. I read in wiki that “In March 2006, less than a year after selling his team to Red Bull, Stoddart announced his intentions to return the Minardi name to Formula One after lodging an entry with the FIA for the 2008 championship season. However, rival entry Prodrive were awarded the 12th and final place on the grid (which they ultimately did not use).” Interesting. And now I hear him again that if Mr. Mosley steps down, he might consider returning…P.Stoddart seems to have nothing to motivate him like Toyota, Honda or BMW have, just hate for Max. And I get suspicious here :)

#10 Dudley

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 09:31

Paul's bid was subject to customer cars. Plus the space has no value if the grid is not full.

Originally posted by LOTI
Without customer cars, the grid will be down to 9 teams and at least two of the top teams will have to run three cars, since I understand that the deal is for twenty cars. Is it not better to have two or three customer teams rather than larger existing ones. With so many standard parts coming on the cars, does it really matter that much. I think it would be more interesting to have a small customer team rather than just a third car in an existing one. Either that or Bernie pays the back of the grid enough to go racing.
Loti


The deal is for 18.

#11 Maldwyn

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 11:37

Originally posted by PassWind
See what the drawing power of Ferrari will bring first before we condemn them.

According to Teixeira:

"The Ferrari brand gives us a credibility that we have so much been looking for. The support events that Ferrari will be running with us... makes us a much bigger series and brings and attracts the Ferrari clubs worldwide."

So A1GP is soon to become Formula Ferrari.

#12 skinnylizard

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 15:22

dont know who he is but i reckon he is involved with motorsport and his right to an opinion. besides i am sure the comments are in a context.

i dont really care about customer car or not. good racing is relevant, there was a time when there was practically an all Cosworth engine grid.

so, as long as the rules are fair and acceptable i dont see what the fuss is.

customer cars would be relevant if you were getting a podium competetive car and that never happens.

#13 ex Rhodie racer

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 15:51

I think the no customer car rule is a bad one. Unless F1 can attract a full field of manufactures cars (+ - 22 would be a full field, IMO), then what´s the problem having the grid filled with customer cars? Just because a few independant chassis builders are worried about a loss of TV money, hardly gives them the right to dictate policy.

#14 kar

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 15:53

Well he just got utterly owned by Mallya

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/67048

#15 Hacklerf

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 16:09

Heh Vijay just gave him a big **** you :up:

#16 tahadar

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 16:14

lmao vijay > tony

#17 miniman

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 17:10

they are both self promoters only interested in their narcissistic pleasures. Perhaps Tony thinks that there's some money to be made from his venture, I think Mallya is more realistic.

I think they'll both be gone within a year of each other. :

#18 Josta

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 17:37

Originally posted by ehagar
What I don't want to see is another Andrea Moda. [/B]


I do. You have to have something to laugh at.

#19 TecnoRacing

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 17:54

While I agree with Vijay's response to Mr. Tony (who came off sounding quite silly) I don't really see the need to bash A1GP (or its participants) or call it a 'mediocre single seater formula series' - I think it is a very entertaining and increasingly competitive spec series... It certainly doesn't compare to F1, but thats not the point...

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#20 Risil

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 17:54

Originally posted by kar
Well he just got utterly owned by Mallya


I don't know any figures about Formula One's increase in popularity in India, but if Mallya's right in backing up what he says, then my personal opinion of him has gone up by about a million percent. :lol:

#21 VresiBerba

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 18:13

Well, Tony just has an opinion. Oops, did I say that out loud?

#22 Risil

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 18:44

Originally posted by VresiBerba
Well, Tony just has an opinion. Oops, did I say that out loud?


He also has a vested interest. :)

#23 glorius&victorius

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Posted 02 May 2008 - 09:41

So I guess Narain K. will never be driving an F1 car for Force India (since he looks to be Tony's most appraised Indian driver).

If Vijay puts Narain in one of his cars, Vijay would be "following" Tony's "advice"

Since it looks so personal now between these two, I guess Narain's chances just got f******

Also with what credentials would he convince Vijay? Some victories in a mediocre series?



#24 Fatgadget

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Posted 02 May 2008 - 11:28

Originally posted by ex Rhodie racer
I think the no customer car rule is a bad one. Unless F1 can attract a full field of manufactures cars (+ - 22 would be a full field, IMO), then what´s the problem having the grid filled with customer cars? Just because a few independant chassis builders are worried about a loss of TV money, hardly gives them the right to dictate policy.


Yeah, but I think Sir Frank in particular has a point. Imagine Prodrive for example buying cut price Maclarens or this Tony guy acquires F2008s and at a fraction of Williams budget,they manage to beat Williams? Hardly fair is it.Maybe if the rewards are less for 'customers' it might be fair.