19 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

After I heard in an other thread that DAMS originally was called GBDA I had the idea to start a thread about F2/F3000 team takeovers and teams that change their name.

I quote a posting from frp about GBDA/DAMS from an other thread:

My memory of the time was that GDBA was formed at the start of 1987 by Bernard Giroix, Jean-Paul Driot, Mike Blanchet and Rene Arnoux. Giroix, father of driver Fabien, was another victim of the powerboat crash that killed Didier Pironi. Consequently, the team was reformed for 1988, also without Mike Blanchet, as Driot Arnoux Motor Sport.

Then we have Nordic Racing from Derek Mower, which became BCN in 2003 after Enrique Scalabroni bought the team and then turned in Ocean in 2009 after Tiago Monteiro and his manager bought that team.

DPR Racing still is DPR racing, but not David Price Racing, but Drivers Performance Racing after André Herck bought out David Price before the start of the season 2009.

Alejandro Agag bought the Campos team in 2009 and is now called Addax.

Nelson Piquet sold his Piquet team to GP Racing from Italia, which calles the team Rapax for 2010 season.



Any more, especially in Formula Two and International Formula 3000?

[Simon Arron]

There have been quite a few such swaps, ancient and modern. A few years ago, Coloni sold a controlling stake in its GP2 team to Giancarlo Fisichella: it was renamed FMS until Coloni bought it back.

In 1999, Peter Briggs sold his Edenbridge F3000 team to Paul Stoddart and it morphed into European Aviation.

In 1996, Danielson was absorbed by Shannon Racing, which had an interest in countless teams that season - including the Forti F1 programme - before the inevitable implosion occurred. There are probably others that have escaped my memory.

It was GDBA, incidentally, rather than GBDA. Here is a bottle of GDBA Touraine: these were handed out at the start of the 1987 season and mine lies unopened, for reasons that remain unclear. After 23 years, though, it might not be particularly drinkable.

[Tim Murray]

After I heard in an other thread that DAMS originally was called GBDA I had the idea to start a thread about F2/F3000 team takeovers and teams that change their name.

I quote a posting from frp about GBDA/DAMS from an other thread:

My memory of the time was that GDBA was formed at the start of 1987 by Bernard Giroix, Jean-Paul Driot, Mike Blanchet and Rene Arnoux. Giroix, father of driver Fabien, was another victim of the powerboat crash that killed Didier Pironi. Consequently, the team was reformed for 1988, also without Mike Blanchet, as Driot Arnoux Motor Sport.

It was GDBA, incidentally, rather than GBDA.

Simon, any chance you could confirm the identities behind the initials GDBA? I always thought that the 'G' stood for Gilles Gaignault, not Bernard Giroix.

[HistoryFan]

@Simon: Thank you! Perhaps there are more...

[Gert]

Simon, any chance you could confirm the identities behind the initials GDBA? I always thought that the 'G' stood for Gilles Gaignault, not Bernard Giroix.

Me too I was thinking G was Gaignault and not Giroix.

[Simon Arron]

Correct. It was Gilles Gaignault. Last saw him at Le Mans, in 2009.

[Tim Murray]

Thanks, Simon.

[frp]

Apologies to all for the Gaignault/Giroix/Giroux bo**cks. I spent too much of the eighties reading Autosport in the pub, so the data was beer-corrupted from the start.

[William Hunt]

DPR Racing still is DPR racing, but not David Price Racing, but Drivers Performance Racing after André Herck bought out David Price before the start of the season 2009.

But their website is still called http://www.davidpriceracing.com though

Edited by William Hunt, 23 August 2010 - 01:07.

[William Hunt]

After I heard in an other thread that DAMS originally was called GBDA...

The DAMS name came from Driot-Arnoux motorsport.

But what I'm wondering is: how long did founders Jean-Paul Driot and René Arnoux stay involved with the team and / or are they still somehow involved?

[HistoryFan]

But their website is still called http://www.davidpriceracing.com though

Yes, but André Herck himself told me the new name of the team. And I believe him

[HistoryFan]

The DAMS name came from Driot-Arnoux motorsport.

But what I'm wondering is: how long did founders Jean-Paul Driot and René Arnoux stay involved with the team and / or are they still somehow involved?

Driot is still the team principal, but Arnoux isn't involved any longer. He wasn't yet involved as DAMS start to build their F1 car in 1994.
I think now the team is called Driot Automobile Motorsport Sport.

[Mallory Dan]

Wasn't the 'B' in GDBA, Pierre Blanchet, not Mike Blanchet. And if so, was Pierre B the man of Blanchet Locatop fame?

[Simon Arron]

Wasn't the 'B' in GDBA, Pierre Blanchet, not Mike Blanchet. And if so, was Pierre B the man of Blanchet Locatop fame?

Oops, didn't spot that. Yes, Dan, correct. You are as well informed about this as you are about Chevron B42s...

[Mallory Dan]

Oops, didn't spot that. Yes, Dan, correct. You are as well informed about this as you are about Chevron B42s...

B48s my spec. subject, Simon! You at the Gold Cup this weekend??

[Simon Arron]

You at the Gold Cup this weekend?

On Monday, hopefully, if I can get away from Spa early enough...

[HistoryFan]

Apomatox later become Gouloises Racing.

[HistoryFan]

TP Formula has also a different name as they began F3000 Italia in 1999 with what name?

[HistoryFan]

Driot is still the team principal,

Are there any details about what Driot did before 1987?

[Ross Stonefeld]

Oil trading?