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Tyrrell funded by FOCA?


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#1 Megatron

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Posted 23 July 2001 - 08:05

I heard a quote the other day that read like this:

"Ken didn't have a sponsor and everyone wondered how he kept going, but he was always quick to lodge protests against the manufacturers on behalf of FOCA. Draw your own conclusion".

I assume they are talking about 1981 or 82, when Tyrrell had little or no money. Do you think FOCA were giving Ken some cash in order to do their dirty work for them?

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#2 Zawed

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Posted 23 July 2001 - 08:29

If that is the case, then FOCA left him out in the cold in 1984...they were the ones that came down on him hard over the aromatics thing were'nt they?

#3 rallen

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Posted 12 January 2011 - 12:53

Found this thread very interesting but there has not been much of a response on it. Anyone anymore theories as to the first post?

#4 simonlewisbooks

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Posted 12 January 2011 - 15:31

Found this thread very interesting but there has not been much of a response on it. Anyone anymore theories as to the first post?


There was a former F1 sponsor who frequented my shop about 10 years ago. Very interesting man to talk to and he once said "well of course Bernie kept Tyrrell going when he had no sponsors - loaned him engines and so on..." and the way it was said gave you the impression it was taken as read.

With Ken still being being a team owner of some stature and an arch-FOCA supporter during the early Balestre era, I guess Bernie may well have felt the prudent thing was to help him stay in the game, when the Elf money ran out, rather than lose an ally.

Later on of course, Tyrrell was no longer a leading team and the war had been won....but that's pure surmise.





#5 Formula Once

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Posted 12 January 2011 - 17:21

Bernie Ecclestone as well as then Barron F3-team owner Jan Bosch put money into the Tyrrell-team in 1981-82 i.e. after it lost its Candy-sponsorship and before it found Benetton.

I understand that Tyrrell deciding to race at Imola in 1982, the race boycotted by virtually all other FOCA-teams, did not help his position politically for quite some time.