65 replies to this topic

[JHSingo]

Don't know how credible this is, or what the source is, but interesting story on motorsport.com

 

 

Lawrence Stroll will soon take over the Swiss Formula One team known as Sauber.

Motorsport.com has learned at Monza that Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll is looking to purchase the Sauber F1 Team.

 

Stroll owns the Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Canada, a Ferrari dealership in Québec, and an impressive collection of cars that include two of the most expensive in the world (Ferrari P4 and a Ferrari 275 GTB/4).

 

The fashion industry tycoon is also in the process of selling off his shares in Michael Kors, through his private equity firm Sportswear Holdings. He held a 5.7% stake in the company and with this decision, he will be left with plenty of money leftover to buy into a Formula One team.

 

On Forbes, the 55-year-old is ranked as the 816th richest man in the world, worth $2.3 billion dollars. Bernie Ecclestone dismissed rumors eariler this year that said Stroll could buy into an F1 team, but it seems as though this deal with Sauber is as good as done.

 

Sauber has struggled in 2014 thus far, failing to score any points between drivers Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez.

 

http://www.motorspor...y-sauber-456286

 

 

Edited by JHSingo, 07 September 2014 - 14:52.

[swerved]

Wonder if that's anything to do with Adam Parrs tweet, 8 teams next year did he say ? 

[Disgrace]

Martin Brundle "understands" that this the case, for what it's worth. Ralph Lauren Racing?

[NoSanityClause]

Fashiom and F1? Will it be the new Benetton (Flavio the Fav Flab is back!) or the new Andrea Moda?

[Doughnut King]

How long until he gets fed up with it?

[Jimisgod]

Fashiom and F1? Will it be the new Benetton (Flavio the Fav Flab is back!) or the new Andrea Moda?

Flavio had some questionable fashion choices... and no we aren't going to post the offending picture...

I'd find some new talent first. Sutil and Gutierrez are mediocrity personified, VDG isn't a prodigy and Simona isn't really qualified for F1.

[maximilian]

So this is the next multi-millionaire looking to lose a bunch of money by entering F1?

[Fastcake]

If he has the money and a passion for racing, then he is more than welcome in F1. I'd love to see Sauber finally exit the financial quagmire they've been in over the past 18 months.

[andysaint]

I hope so, it's sad to see Sauber where they are, they have a good history and if this gets them out their troubles so be it.

[Fastcake]

I've just discovered his son is Lance Stroll, a Ferrari junior driver currently competing in F4. Bets on this having something to do with his decision to buy into the team?

 

I mean if Grahame Chilton can buy a team for his son, how many other millionaire racing dads now think that's the best way to live out their dreams?

[rhukkas]

If Lance Stroll finds himself in F1 because his dad owns the team... well.... that would be hilarious.

[S3baman]

How long until he gets fed up with it?

 

To his defense, the guy is a motorsports fan. Mt-Tremblant circuit is doing very well under his ownership and he's a Ferrari supporter. This is tied nicely with Sauber having Ferrari engines. I wonder how this will work out with the possible rumours of 3 car teams though.

[Ross Stonefeld]

If you made all that money making smart business decisions, why would you spend that money making silly business decisions?

[onewingedangel]

If there are to be 3 car teams, I'd picture Sauber as the Ferrari B team running Bianchi in place of/merged with Marussia.

 

I wonder whether there may be a conflict or conversely any synergy involved with Van Der Garde's backer McGreggor.

[Emilvang]

If there are to be 3 car teams, I'd picture Sauber as the Ferrari B team running Bianchi in place of/merged with Marussia.

 

I wonder whether there may be a conflict or conversely any synergy involved with Van Der Garde's backer McGreggor.

 

Wouldn't Ferrari want Bianchi as their 3rd driver?

[peroa]

If there are to be 3 car teams, I'd picture Sauber as the Ferrari B team running Bianchi in place of/merged with Marussia.

 

I wonder whether there may be a conflict or conversely any synergy involved with Van Der Garde's backer McGreggor.

Or some kind of customer cars will be allowed...

[S3baman]

Wouldn't Ferrari want Bianchi as their 3rd driver?

 

I'd more inclined to believe this. Bianchi is destined for a Ferrari seat, but with their current lineup he has no place to go. If teams are running 3 cars next year it'll be perfect spot for him. You keep Alonso and Kimi as your title contenders (if the car is up to par) and Jules will learn a lot in the first year. In 2016, he'll might be ready to make the jump to #1 driver in the team

[Spillage]

Sounds quite likely from what Brundle was saying. Apparently Mr Stroll is a big F1 fan with plenty of cash and a son doing well in karting. Bet they can come up with a livery fit for the red carpet

 

Hope the Sauber name remains though. It'd be a shame to lose it after so long.

Edited by Spillage, 07 September 2014 - 17:14.

[P123]

If you made all that money making smart business decisions, why would you spend that money making silly business decisions?

Something to ask Tony Fernandez too.

Edited by P123, 07 September 2014 - 17:14.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Well he got lured in with promises of cost caps and all the rest of it. Stroll is buying into a struggling team with financial holes in a series that is in bad shape for entrants.

[emmanuelrubi]

I heard the same but coming from Carlos Slim to make Scuderia Mexico for the upcoming Mexican gp in nov 2015 who knows.

[pathogen]

I heard the same but coming from Carlos Slim to make Scuderia Mexico for the upcoming Mexican gp in nov 2015 who knows.

I heard that Slim will buy McLaren and you will be the driver

[george1981]

I've heard it said a few times recently that Bianchi brings free engines to Marussia. I'd be surprised if that was entirely true, but perhaps he brings discounted engines to Ferrari.

I would have thought Sauber would have bitten Ferrari's arm off to have Bianchi in their car, he's a decent driver IMO at least as talented as the current Sauber drivers plus free or discounted engines. Maybe next year Sauber could have Bianchi and Lance Stroll and a chance of decent funding.

[F1matt]

If we get to point where teams are running 3 cars it's because we have lost teams like Sauber.

[Collective]

I heard the same but coming from Carlos Slim to make Scuderia Mexico for the upcoming Mexican gp in nov 2015 who knows.

Slim Domit will never buy a F1 team. He likes to make money, not lose it.

[HeadFirst]

If you made all that money making smart business decisions, why would you spend that money making silly business decisions?

 

Because you can ... for a while anyway.

[teejay]

Because you cant take 2.3 billion to the grave, but you can certainly enjoy making your son happy if he ends up in a F1 car.

[Jimisgod]

Is Stroll any good?

[Afterburner]

Is Stroll any good?

If he was, we would've likely heard about him by now, so... Occam's Razor says 'no'.

Edited by Afterburner, 08 September 2014 - 03:34.

[pingu666]

hes in F4, and who cares about that?, not sure i even knew that was a thing...

[scheivlak]

He's 15 - time enough to match Max 

[MikeV1987]

awesome news if true, it looks like he has a passion for cars and motorsport so all the power to him.

[bill p]

Don't know how credible this is, or what the source is, but interesting story on motorsport.com

 

 

 

..........and an impressive collection of cars that include two of the most expensive in the world (Ferrari P4 and a Ferrari 275 GTB/4).

 

The 275GTB/4 is one of the NART Spyders and there is also a 250GTO 

[cheesy poofs]

I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen. Stroll has had strong ties to Ferrari for many years and his involvement in an F1 team comes as his son Lance is gravitating the motorsports echelon. Don't be surprised to see his kid in F1 in the future. That's always been the plan! The kid has talent - and obviously the money.

[Brandz07]

Is Stroll any good?

He is.

 

To elaborate, he's not a Verstappen, but he looks really promising.

Edited by Brandz07, 08 September 2014 - 14:37.

[cheesy poofs]

Glimpse of Lance Stroll's car racing debut in the Ferrari backed Florida Winter Series



You might notice someone else in there too

[metz]

This has to be the biggest amount of money ever paid to get your son a ride.

 

Assume about $80 mil, or whatever Peter paid BMW.

Edited by metz, 08 September 2014 - 18:48.

[JHSingo]

I doubt (and hope) this man wouldn't be stupid enough to buy an F1 team just to give his 15 year old son a ride...

[rhukkas]

He is.

 

To elaborate, he's not a Verstappen, but he looks really promising.

 

Lance Stroll, with the kind of financial backing he has had, is decidedly average.

[DinocoBlue]

Even if he does buy the team, there's no guarantee that he'll let his son have a test, let alone a drive.

[Fastcake]

Even if he does buy the team, there's no guarantee that he'll let his son have a test, let alone a drive.

 

While I was only being half-series in suggesting his son is the only reason Stroll is buying Sauber, can you honestly imagine his son not having a guaranteed seat? He doesn't have to follow Verstappen and get a drive immediately, but when your father owns a team you're going to get a drive.

[Ferrari_F1_fan_2001]

If you made all that money making smart business decisions, why would you spend that money making silly business decisions?

Sometimes the sales pitch is so good that even financially astute investors go silly and throw money at things.

[taran]

This has to be the biggest amount of money ever paid to get your son a ride.

 

Assume about $80 mil, or whatever Peter paid BMW.

 

Not necessarily. Sauber is pretty much broke and there are few buyers available. So if a buyer offers to take on the team for $1 and keep it going for guaranteed x number of years, a responsible owner like Peter Sauber (who got his ROI when BMW acquired the team) might well take that offer.

[SonJR]

Read some other reports that he's looking to 'buy into', not necessarily buy the entire operation, of Sauber or Lotus.

[Jimisgod]

Read some other reports that he's looking to 'buy into', not necessarily buy the entire operation, of Sauber or Lotus.

 

Benetton GP becomes Polo Ralph Lauren GP?

[ensign14]

It sort of explains why at least one British magazine recently had a puff piece about Stroll apropos of nothing.  In which the billionaire father backing did not become apparent until some way in.

[BRG]

It sort of explains why at least one British magazine recently had a puff piece about Stroll apropos of nothing.  In which the billionaire father backing did not become apparent until some way in.

And his selection for the Ferrari Academy is irrelevant?  OR did his daddy buy that?

 

Promising young driver + rich father = incompetent overrated spoiled brat.   QED

[LORDBYRON]

He better get his supper licence quick smart before they change the rules next year through max

[rhukkas]

And his selection for the Ferrari Academy is irrelevant?  OR did his daddy buy that?

 

Promising young driver + rich father = incompetent overrated spoiled brat.   QED

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting that Billionaire Lawrence Stroll, well known collector of vintage Ferraris (around 25), bought a place in the Ferrari Academy. That would be  a ludicrous and totally unfounded accusation.

Edited by rhukkas, 14 September 2014 - 22:53.

[Ross Stonefeld]

You're our resident karting fella. What was he racing before and how was he getting on?