Mazda in F1?

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

Was watching this clip earlier, right at the start the commentator is asking Volker Weidler (who was imminently about to win the Le Mans 24 Hours for Mazda) about the possibility of a Mazda F1 engine and it possibly being his way back into F1 (after the Rial disaster). I must admit I have never heard of this before, I know that the late 80s/early 90s was a graveyard of stillborn F1 projects, both chassis and engine, but I've never heard Mazda being mentioned around this time before, so got a bit curious.

Does anyone who was older than 8(!) in 1991 actually remember any details first hand about all this? I guess they couldn't have used their signature rotary technology in F1 (I take it the reciprocating piston only rule was in place by then, even if they only got all anal about the exact number of cylinders in the late 90s?). Was an 8, 10 or 12 planned, if anything at all, and was there any connection to their use of rebadged F1-based Judd V10s in their 1992 sportscar (itself a rebadged Jaguar, I've heard!). Also were any teams linked for an engine supply? A bit unrelated but later in the same clip the commentator mentions Eddie Jordan having a link to all three winning drivers...

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, tried doing a search but couldn't find anything!

I also never heard of that before...
I'm keen on more details...

The Formula Atlantic motor a few years back was a re-badged Cosworth...

If memory serves there were no real f1 plans for mazda although there was some wild speculation at the time (suzuki to power leyton house that kind of thing) Didnt the Judd v12 end up as the Yamaha engine?

Does the close relationship between Ford and Mazda come into the story at all?

The Formula Atlantic motor a few years back was a re-badged Cosworth...

Given their links to Ford at the time (i'm unsure if they still have those links, after the turmoil of the last year or so) perhaps they could have rebadged the V8 ford line (I'd guess HB) - but only if Ford had a V10 coming on tap soon, and that took a few years longer. There were rumours of a V12 Ford earlier than the V10, so perhaps that's how it fitted in. Or perhaps it was just nonsense of course.

Fab Video, funny how they talked about MS 'might be' an F1 prospect

I suspect the comments about the Mazda F1 engine were a bit of tv journo filler since Wiedler and Gachot seemed to know zero about it.

Mazda does/did not have the facilities or finances to develop thier own F1 engine as evidenced by their appearance in the 3.5 litre Sports Car scene with a rebadged Jaguar XJR 14 powered by a Judd V10.

Mazda are way to close to Ford anyway so if there was a proposal to go F1 then they would have probably gone with a Cosworth running Mazda cam covers.

They are big fans of rebadged engines, aren't they? In recent seasons they've tried to gain exposure through their participation in the ALMS and the LMS, though their turbo 4 that powers Dyson and Oak Racing is really just a rebadged and slightly massaged AER engine that began life in the back of the MG LMP675 car. Funny how many instances of this we have in the sportscar world... Just look at Judd. They were "Mazdas" in the XJR14, then when they reappeared on the scene in the '99-'05 time frame they were just "Judds", then for a brief period they were badged MGs, then AIMs, and now just Judds again. All depends on who happens to be opening their purse strings for that particular season, I guess.

Was watching this clip earlier, right at the start the commentator is asking Volker Weidler (who was imminently about to win the Le Mans 24 Hours for Mazda) about the possibility of a Mazda F1 engine and it possibly being his way back into F1 (after the Rial disaster). I must admit I have never heard of this before, I know that the late 80s/early 90s was a graveyard of stillborn F1 projects, both chassis and engine, but I've never heard Mazda being mentioned around this time before, so got a bit curious.

I didn't watch the video, but the way I read your post it sounds to me like they mean it is a chance for Volker Weidler (who had 10 DNS for Rial in 1989) to redeem himself in F1, and not Mazda.

They are big fans of rebadged engines, aren't they? In recent seasons they've tried to gain exposure through their participation in the ALMS and the LMS, though their turbo 4 that powers Dyson and Oak Racing is really just a rebadged and slightly massaged AER engine that began life in the back of the MG LMP675 car. Funny how many instances of this we have in the sportscar world... Just look at Judd. They were "Mazdas" in the XJR14, then when they reappeared on the scene in the '99-'05 time frame they were just "Judds", then for a brief period they were badged MGs, then AIMs, and now just Judds again. All depends on who happens to be opening their purse strings for that particular season, I guess.

I can assure you that the Mazda engines currently being run by Dyson and run last year by Oak Racing bears absolutely no resemblance to the AER engines which preceded it. It was a clean sheet design. There are some who believe that had there been some "family" resemblance, some of the reliability issues may not have been experienced.

I think I read once that Team Lotus tested a Mazda V12 engine in a 102B in 1991.

I think it was a Isuzu engine which was tested by Lotus.

Edited by HistoryFan, 06 August 2010 - 12:06.

I think I read once that Team Lotus tested a Mazda V12 engine in a 102B in 1991.

.. and technically it was a Lotus 102C

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