The Spanish site motor21.com says that Piquet has signed to be Campos's other driver and, I think, that the Piquets have bought 15% of the team and brought sponsors. So that should sort out the financial problems, if it's true.

The site is reliable.

It was the first to announce the signing of Senna before its formalization.

Be careful with news from Spanish media, today in Spain it's "Día de los santos inocentes" (something like April Fools).

Ah.

Thank you

Thank you for that!

(Maybe Piquet, the Nelson, buys 15% of those truck car series in North America. Or South.)

Well, I think he already has a team in the Brazilian Formula Truck...

You were right!

http://www.motor21.com/noticia.asp?dt=315&nt=77526

I don't think he'll be in open-wheel racing. Not for a while. Big Nelson has apparently sold Piquet GP - the team's primary function was to get Little Nelson into Formula One - and the team will be known as Rapax. If Little Nelson had his heart set on another shot at Formula One and couldn't get a 2010 drive, he'd move to Piquet GP for sure. So I'd say he's looking to abandon open-wheelers - at least in Europe - for the time being. Besides, Adrian Campos has said he doesn't want to run two drivers of the same nationality, and he said it after signing Bruno Senna, so it seems directed at The Piquets! instead of just anyone. They'll likely take Petrov or Maldonado; I'm hoping Petrov (if he can't get the second Renault or Sauber) because it would be an injustice if the second place-getter in GP2 were to be denied a Formula One berth when the series champion an the third place-getter each step up.

Bugger.

But Petrov or Maldonado should ease any financial difficulties.

[ link ]

Russian = Petrov
Chinese = Ho-Pin Tung
German = ???
Italian = Luca Filippi, Davide Valsecchi, Pantano?!

Ralf?




I know that Luca is looking for a seat but don't know with which team.

I also know that Campos likes Pantano. Unfortunately he have not the budget.

It's hard to think in any other possibility than Ralf or Heidfeld.
It's also hard to believe that any of those prospects would be possible.


Campos has one available seat.


i guess if Pantano had backing he would have already been signed.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29122009/23/...010-return.html

Old news. In fact, it isn't even news: December 28th is known as the 'Day of the Innocents' in Spain, which is not unlike April Fools' Day. The website that ran that report, motor21.com, even admitted that it was made up as a joke. Campos have responded, stating that they have nothing against him, but they don't have a seat for him, either. They've received much more impressive offers from other drivers.

Yes, but I don't think that Luca can afford it. His dad Pierfelice should sell an incredible number of Volvo trucks to reach the budget.

All kidding aside, I believe that the economic possibilities of Filippi and Pantano could only afford a seat as a test/third driver.

I think Petrov is the richest (and therefore more attractive to Campos), however there are other drivers such as Neel Jani and Roldan Rodriguez who have a portfolio of several million euros.

The fact that Petrov has raced for Campos should make him even more attractive. The others are going to have to have some serious dough if they want to challenge hm.

Yes, but this is not the determinant factor, otherwise I think Campos certainly would prefer Pantano.

1) Petrov is a proven race winner in GP2: in four years he has risen from the last places to title contender.
2) He has worked with Adrian Campos before, driving for his GP2 and GP2 Asia teams in 2007 and 2008.
3) He is said to bring twenty million dollars' worth of sponsorship, with a provsion for more if needed.
4) Teams like Sauber considered him because he grants access to the lucrative East European and Russian markets.

Really, Petrov should be a slam-dunk. How can Pantano top that? He had a year in Formula One and didn't impress. He won a GP2 title, but no-one re-hired him.

Davide Valsecchi already signed a deal with iSport to contest the GP2 main series (and also the remainder of the GP2 Asian series) for 2010.

The reason is exactly that.

Before of the Pantano's arrival, Campos had never won anything. He made him make the leap in quality, this is undeniable.

He was able to contest the title to Bourdais in 2002 after Sears had unloaded him a few days before the start of the season. And we all know the rating of Coloni team.
He won 2 races with Durango (another "powerful" team) and came 3rd in 2003 after undergoing the BC Motorsport cheat.

Petrov is a good driver (he started his career here in Italy, under the protection of Vincenzo Sospiri) but you can't compare with Pantano in terms of driving talent.

The biggest Pantano's problem was his management (his father, Mr. Brask and others). It would take Sherlock Holmes to understand what happened with Jordan. This probably will not allowed him to find the budget to race a very high level but IMHO can't absolutely compare his talents with Petrov.

Sorry, we are OT.

Great post

I think that the #20 car is going to be going to Petrov. He seems the most likely now IMO.

Sorry, I was editing.

I fail to see how you can say tha you cannot compare Petrov of Pantano. Pantano had his chance, and it fell apart. The EJ14 might not have been the best car, but Eddie Jordan did have a reputation for finding new talent. I think it is very telling that Pantano has spent the past three seasons at or near the top of GP2 - he finished fifth in 2006, despite missing the first six races - without getting back into Formula One. He might have taken Campos to the top of the GP2 ladder, but Petrov has kept them there. I don't see anything in Pantano that Petrov cannot match. Pantano has said he'd like to drive for Campos - he was the first person to submit his name - but other than that, there has been nothing to connect him to the team. Aurelio's comments only say that they've had an offer from an Italian without actually mentioning who that Italian is, and it's believed they have a short list of two drivers: one Russian, the other Venezuelan.

And we're not off-topic if we're discussing potential Campos drivers as this is, after all, the Campos thread.

I was talking about talent and we all know that talent alone is not sufficient to guarantee a seat in F1.

Pantano drove for the first time an F3 car in September 1999 in Spa (circuit never seen before) and after the FP1, he was one of the very few (along with Button and Karthikeyan) to get Eau-Rouge and Raidillon flat out. In my opinion this is talent.

The following year he debuted in the German F3 championship by winning the opening race and the championship. In my opinion this is talent.

I have spoken previously about what he has done with teams such as Coloni and Durango. In my opinion this is talent.

I don't think that Petrov has done similar things.

In December 2005 Pantano had the fastest time in testing at Sebring but PKV took Katherine Legge (almost 2 seconds slower).

Concerning 2004, very strange things have happened in the garage of the Jordan team.

Campos held Petrov in 2008 because Pantano did not want to pay for racing and Campos couldn't afford.

BTW, Best Wishes to all.

Petrov seems to have improved a bit over the years, but I agree, Pantano's a better driver.

If Pantano was as good as claimed, he would have re-joined Formula One. Especially after he won the GP2 title in 2008.

But he hasn't been picked up. There's a reason for that.

Yes, stupid team bosses

Petrov hasn't been picked up yet, either.

Although I hope he is.

Yeah, but the difference between Pantano and Petrov is that Pantano has had a season in Formula One.

Of course. He has no money.
Do you want to make me believe that money does not matter? Maybe in Wonder Land.

In your opinion, why drivers like Diniz, Nakajima (both), Rebaque, Zunino, Baumgartner, Yoong, Mazzacane and Takagi, arrived and remained in F1?
You think that they have been chosen and confirmed for their driving ability?

Come on, let's be serious.

I'm not saying that Petrov doesn't deserve F1, I don't care. But if you tell me that Petrov is like Pantano you blunder.

Sorry for the OT.

The difference between now and then is that back then, pay drivers only needed money. Now, they need talent to be able to get through the lower formulae. As I said, there is nothing Pantano has that Petrov cannot match, save for a failed year in the sport. He has money, he has talent, he has worked with Campos before (and for longer), and he has not been snubbed by the F1 teams.

There are more differences between the two and it's not just money.

Pantano at all levels below F1 has always had good results with the equipment he had, whereas Petrov has had several opportunities and only shone a little this year.

Adrian to La Gazzetta - The date the car was supposed to be ready has been postponed and Campos Meta probably won't be in the first of the two test in Jerez, maybe they could have one of the cars just for the shakedown. He is looking for a partner - Teixeira is rumoured - to have a more solid financial base. About the second driver, he said the options were already very clear and the decision can't be postponed much more, in a couple of weeks everything will be announced (Petrov and Maldonado are the favourites).

Not the best news but at least they are talking about something more specific and I think they definitely will be in Bahrain.

This means that they will not be present even in Cheste (1-3 February) then skip 2 of the 4 test set.

I don't think that lately Mr. Teixeira has been very clever with money.

I am dumbfounded.

It seems i know shit about this 'team'.

Who is the technical director? Where is their factory?

Technical Director: Toni Cuquerella


Design Studio: Dallara Automobili (Parma - Italy)
Sports Agency (Marketing and Administration): Meta Image (Madrid - Spain)
Current HQ: Campos Racing (Valencia - Spain)
Office (Contact): Campos Meta 1 (Madrid - Spain)
New HQ: Parque Tecnológico de Fuente Álamo (Fuente Álamo - Múrcia - Spain)

This is just a rumour, but it could be serious: after failing to reach an agreement to buy a stake on Force India, Barry Walsh would be negotiating to enter Campos Meta. Let's keep an eye on this...

who is Barry Walsh?

highdownforce, thank you very much!

An Irish business man, ran a team in F3, WSR and SLF called Ultimate Motorsport. He sold them in order to get as much money as he can to buy a stake in a F1 team for 2010. He's backed up by arab investors too.

I think I remember him. Wasn't Ulitmate involved with Sonangol, an Angolan oil company?

Regarding Campos F1, are Embratel sponsoring directly, or just a personal sponsor of Bruno Senna?

You're welcomed!


It's not clear at the moment. Bruno is always wearing his sponsor cap at public appearances but there isn't any info on the telecom nor on the team website.

Is Bruno doing TV appearances/promotions right now?

There was one at the time of Brazilian GP, IIRC.
Here is a link (PT-BR) to the a page at Embratel website dedicated to Bruno.
But it hasn't been updated since GP2 times, I guess.

I'm trying to understand what's happening.

Please keep me informed on any Bruno's TV commercials. Could mean that the project is progressing.

Thank you.

You're welcomed.

Edit: By the way, Bruno's number, #21, is Embratel's code for interstate or international calls in the Brazilian system.

Campos should be at all pre-season tests, starting in Valencia. Good news!

According to Bruno Senna

I'd take Giorgio Pantano over a lot of the current drivers/drivers currently rumored. You don't become the most successful driver in F1 feeder-series history by accident and the 'what have you done for me lately' attitude, coupled with the 'he had his chance' mentality is much of what's wrong with this sport.

+1