
The history of F1 team names
#1
Posted 28 May 2008 - 09:15
Toleman > Benetton > Renault
Jordan > Midland > Spyker > Force India
Tyrell > BAR > Honda
Stewart > Jaguar > Red Bull
Minardi > Toro Rosso
Sauber > BMW
Ligier > Prost
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#2
Posted 28 May 2008 - 09:28
* Osella -> Fomet -> Fondmetal
* Arrows -> Footwork -> Arrows
* March -> Leyton House -> March
* Williams -> Wolf
#3
Posted 28 May 2008 - 09:49
ensign->theodore 1983
#4
Posted 28 May 2008 - 10:40
Copersucar...Fittipaldi
Onyx...Monteverdi
Forti...Shannon (but no sure)
Iso...Williams....Wolf
Lotus...JPS;;;Lotus
Emeryson...ENB
Ensign...Boro
ATS...Derrington-Francis
Ligier...Talbot...Ligier
Penske and March...ATS
A little different: Moser made a Bellasi with a Brabham, Luigi Colani a Eiffeland with a March, Mc Guire a Mc Guire with a Williams and Kessel an Appolon with a williams too
The Hesketh 308C...Williams Wolf FW05 and the last Wolf WR7...Fittipaldi F7

#5
Posted 28 May 2008 - 12:59
Originally posted by Hames Junt
Tyrell > BAR > Honda
Whilst BAR bought the Tyrrell team, AFAIK the only part of it they actually retained and used was the right to enter the championship. Nothing out of the staff, premises and equipment were "carried over" to the new team.
If memory serves the premises were taken over by Yamaha, Paul Stoddart bought virtually all of the equipment and some of the staff moved onto the Harvey Postlethwaite run Honda F1 project.
Dunno if this helps, I hope it does.
#6
Posted 28 May 2008 - 13:51
or
[Equipe Moss/A E Moss] > British Racing Partnership (BRP) > Yeoman Credit Racing > Bowmaker-Yeoman > Reg Parnell racing
The above is a simplifiation of the complex evolution
#7
Posted 28 May 2008 - 14:24
Wasn´t BAR in some way also successing Reynard?
Then Politoys > Iso > Williams > Wolf > Fittipaldi
Alfa Romeo > Euroracing > EuroBrun
Osella > Fondmetal > Fomet > Larrousse > Venturi?
(I never understood this one completely...)
And perhaps Ligier > Prost > Phoenix...
...all depending on how you define "team":
- legal successor (taking over FOCA membership)
- operating from the same factory / workshop
- taking over all (or the majority) of the staff
- buying the cars
- carrying on with the design plans only
and various combinations of these.
So how would you deal with Hesketh > Williams > Wolf > Fittipaldi? What happened with Hesketh as a team at the end of 1975?
Renault > AGS or Renault > Larrousse or both new teams? Or Beatrice/Haas-Lola > Larrousse-Lola? And Larrousse-Lola > Scuderia Italia-Lola?
Then is it Arrows > Footwork > Arrows > Super Aguri?
(but in my opinion Footwork wasn´t a new "team", but only a sponsor much like JPS/Lotus, but there had been a "Footwork" previously in F3000)
And don´t we have to see Arrows also in some way as successor to Shadow?
Shadow itself is also interesting: Shadow > Theodore > Ensign? Or how do we have to solve the Theodore - Ensign connection? First Yip bought his drivers into the team, then (nominally) placed his own entries with one of their cars (but still with "works" support I assume) and finally took over the whole team to run the latest Ensign design as a Theodore...
Sorry for getting a little bit excessive...
#8
Posted 28 May 2008 - 14:32
pavanello associated with walter brun give life at euroracing one of the worst formula 1 team even in jaegermeister car was very pretty
#9
Posted 28 May 2008 - 15:19
#10
Posted 28 May 2008 - 18:55
What about:
Darracq => Alfa Romeo => Ferrari
Sunbeam, Talbot and Darracq => STD => Talbot-Lago
Lion-Peugeot => Peugeot

Daimler and Benz => Daimler-Benz

Diatto => Maserati => Tec-Mec :grin:
#11
Posted 28 May 2008 - 19:17
Moser made a Bellasi with a Brabham
The Bellasi is made with some parts from Brabham (stearing, radiator, driveshafts), also the rims but other size then used on the BT24-3. On the start the rear wing, later his owen. Front wings like used on the BT24-3 is from McLaren. Al other parts ar produced and most not applicabel on the Brabham.
.
#12
Posted 28 May 2008 - 21:46
That's a bit bloody tenuous!Originally posted by fines
What about:
Darracq => Alfa Romeo => Ferrari

Far too simplified!Originally posted by fines
Sunbeam, Talbot and Darracq => STD => Talbot-Lago
Oh .... puhlease ...!!!Originally posted by fines
Lion-Peugeot => Peugeot
Ditto!Originally posted by fines
Daimler and Benz => Daimler-Benz
Ditto, ditto!Originally posted by fines
Diatto => Maserati => Tec-Mec :grin:
#13
Posted 28 May 2008 - 23:19
Restricting myself to World Championship (WDC/FIA F1) entries, as the thread starter also seems to imply with his examples, I've come to the following preliminary list to which I'm adding some fairly brief explanations, most of them still to be completed. I'm sure I've left stuff out, so I'd be happy to hear your additions. Oh, and corrections, of course...
Why the peculiar order? I already bunched some of them together in order to add a single storyline to groups of entities, so that's why for example Shadow, Arrows, Theodore and Ensign are in each other's vicinity.
Williams
• 1970: runs Dallara-designed De Tomaso as its effective ‘works’ team
• 1972: runs as Politoys
• 1973: runs as Iso-Marlboro, renames Politoys FX3 to Iso-Marlboro FX3B
• 1974: runs as Iso-Marlboro, renames Iso-Marlboro IR to Iso-Marlboro FW
• 1975: renames Iso-Marlboro FW to Williams FW
• 1976: runs as Wolf-Williams from Spanish GP on, acquires Hesketh 308C to rename them (Wolf-)Williams FW05
• 1977: Wolf splits off and starts his own team, FW03 is sold to Loris Kessel to become Apollon, FW04-02 is sold to Brian McGuire to become McGuire BM1
• 1978: FW05-1 and Williams-built FW05-3 are renamed back to Hesketh 308C-1 and 308C-3 respectively, both running in the Aurora series
Wolf
• 1976: becomes involved as a part owner of Williams
• 1977: creates own WR design on original Hesketh outline
• 1980: sells third-generation WR design (WR7 to WR9) to Fittipaldi where it is renamed F7
Renault
• 1986: AGS turns Renault RE50 into AGS JH21C
• 2001: buys Benetton but keeps team running as Benetton for another year
• 2002: renames Benetton B202 to Renault R202 to officially return to Grand Prix racing
Benetton
• 1986: turns Toleman into Benetton
• 2001: becomes Renault-owned
BAR
• 1998: buys Tyrrell and engages Reynard for first own design
• 2005: a takeover by Honda leads to Honda’s return as a manufacturer
Honda
• 1999: some ex-Tyrrell staff try to revive a Honda return
• 2006: returns to F1 after taking over BAR
• 2007: Honda RA106 design handed to Super Aguri to become the SA07
Sauber
• 2006: taken over by BMW to become BMW Sauber
Maserati
• 1949: two Maserati 4CLT/48 are reworked to become Maserati-Milano 4CLT/48
• 1950: two Maserati 4CLT/50 are extensively reworked to become Maserati-Milano 4CLT/50 or simply ‘Milano’
• 1959: Valerio Colotti takes over last 250F chassis to create the Tec-Mec F415
Arzani-Volpini
• 1955: Milano’s Speluzzi-engined car is renamed to Arzani-Volpini
Ligier
• 1981: changes identity to Talbot
• 1997: taken over by Prost, Ligier JS45 becomes Prost JS45
Jordan
• 2006: sold to Midland F1 to become MF1, MF1 M16 heavily based on Jordan EJ15B, sold before Italian GP to become Spyker MF1
• 2007: Spyker MF1 is renamed to Spyker, Spyker F8-VII heavily based on MF1 M16
• 2008: sold to Vijay Mallya to become Force India, Force India VJM01 heavily based on Spyker F8-VIIB
March
• 1972: one of March 721 cars is turned into Eifelland 21
• 1981: Herd returns to F1 in partnership with RAM
• 1983: RAM continues alone, using RAM-March cars in its first season
• 1990-'91: renamed to Leyton House for two seasons
Penske
• 1976: PC3 created from March 751
• 1978: PC4 forms basis for ATS HS1
Osella
• 1991-’92: enters as Fondmetal and Fomet before folding, Osella FA1ME is revised to become Fondmetal FA1ME-90
Forti
• 1995: Forti FG01 based on Fondmetal GR02
Shadow
• 1978: Shadow DN9 design is ‘stolen’ to become Arrows FA1
• 1980: teams up with Theodore in final season
Arrows
• 1991-‘96: named Footwork for six seasons
• 2006: Arrows A23 becomes Super Aguri SA05, later adapted to the SA06
Theodore
• 1978: renames Ralt RT1 to Theodore TR1
• 1981: buys Shadow to rename Shadow DN12 to Theodore TY01
• 1983: buys Ensign to rename Ensign N183 to Theodore N183
Ensign
• 1976: Ensign N175 is taken by former sponsors HB Bewaking to create the Boro 001
Stewart
• 2000: taken over by Ford to become Jaguar
• 2005: sold to Dietrich Mateschitz to become Red Bull
Minardi
• 2006: sold to Dietrich Mateschitz to become STR, Red Bull RB1 design is handed over to become STR1
• 2007: Red Bull RB2 design is handed over to become STR2
• 2008: Red Bull RB3 design is handed over to become STR3
Lola
• 1975: Lola T371 becomes Hill GH1
• 1967-’68: delivers T100/T102 for works BMW F2 effort
• 1987-’91: delivers cars to Larrousse for five straight seasons
• 1993: delivers car for BMS Scuderia Italia’s final season
Dallara
• 1988-’92: delivers cars to BMS Scuderia Italia for five straight seasons
Larrousse
• 1992: enters Fomet-designed car as Venturi
Reg Parnell Racing
• 1961: enters as Yeoman Credit Racing Team, running Coopers
• 1962-’63: enters as Bowmaker Racing Team, running Lolas
BRP
• 1960: enters as Yeoman Credit Racing Team, running Coopers
• 1961-’62: enters as UDT Laystall Team, running Lotuses
ENB
• 1962: adapts Emeryson to become the ENB
Merzario
• 1979: Kauhsen WK is renamed Merzario A4
Lancia
• 1956: Lancia D50 becomes Ferrari D50
• 1957: Ferrari D50 is extensively reworked into Ferrari 801
EuroBrun
• 1984-‘85: Alfa Romeo ‘works’ effort actually run by Euroracing
• 1988: teams up with Swiss sportscar team Brun to create EuroBrun
Coloni
• 1992: taken over by Andrea Sassetti to form Andrea Moda
Simtek
• 1992: S921 design is entered as Andrea Moda S921
Derrington-Francis
• 1964: ATS 100 is renamed Derrington-Francis
bToken
• 1975: Token RJ02 returns as Safir
Rebaque
• 1979: Rebaque HR100 is based on customer Lotus 79
Onyx
• 1990: Onyx ORE-2 becomes Monteverdi ORE-2
Lamborghini
• 1991: original GLAS design is renamed Lamborghini 291
#14
Posted 29 May 2008 - 00:25
And, further to Racer.Demon's comprehensive post, wasn't Willi Kauhsen's first effort based on last year's Lotus?
#15
Posted 29 May 2008 - 00:37
There was no connection between the two. Osella's F2 cars had been designated FA2/75 and then with subsequent numbers, so the FA1 designation was a natural for the F1 cars. I believe the FA in Arrows' FA1 was for Franco Ambrosio, who backed the team in the early days.Originally posted by Simpson RX1
Something I've always wondered, and pardon me if I'm being a total thicko and have missed something obvious, but is there any connection at all between the Arrows FA1 and the Osella FA1, or is it just a coincidence?
#16
Posted 29 May 2008 - 01:07
Originally posted by Rob G
There was no connection between the two. Osella's F2 cars had been designated FA2/75 and then with subsequent numbers, so the FA1 designation was a natural for the F1 cars. I believe the FA in Arrows' FA1 was for Franco Ambrosio, who backed the team in the early days.
Thanks for that Rob, it's cleared up a long term connundrum for me.
From my memory of building a slot car of the original Arrows FA1, the colour scheme was white, with the names Ambrosio and Varig (Brazil's National airline at the time?) in mid blue, so I reckon you're right.
#17
Posted 29 May 2008 - 04:57
#18
Posted 29 May 2008 - 08:32
#19
Posted 29 May 2008 - 10:14

Thanks.
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#20
Posted 29 May 2008 - 10:35
• 1969: Frank Williams Racing Cars runs private Brabham
• 1970: Frank Williams Racing Cars runs Dallara-designed De Tomaso as its effective ‘works’ team
• 1971: Frank Williams Racing Cars runs private March
• 1972: Team name changed to Williams-Motul, starting with a private March and then introducing their own chassis, which runs as Politoys
• 1973: Team name reverts to Frank Williams Racing Cars, but runs as Iso-Marlboro, renames Politoys FX3 to Iso-Marlboro FX3B
#21
Posted 29 May 2008 - 11:06
Originally posted by Vitesse2
Mattijs: I think you have the early years of Williams slightly mixed - as I understand it, it should be ....
• 1969: Frank Williams Racing Cars runs private Brabham
• 1970: Frank Williams Racing Cars runs Dallara-designed De Tomaso as its effective ‘works’ team
• 1971: Frank Williams Racing Cars runs private March
• 1972: Team name changed to Williams-Motul, starting with a private March and then introducing their own chassis, which runs as Politoys
• 1973: Team name reverts to Frank Williams Racing Cars, but runs as Iso-Marlboro, renames Politoys FX3 to Iso-Marlboro FX3B
Yes, I know all that, Richard.

But I'm not after a full Williams team history here. I'm only covering the identity changes, that's why I'm leaving out of the privateer bits... There will be more detail in the stories that follow these lists of highlights.
Oh, and as to the Tyrrell takeover by BAR - it was more than just the entry rights. I clearly remember Patrick Lemarié doing winter tests for BAR with a Tyrrell-Supertec 026 test hack.
#22
Posted 29 May 2008 - 12:59

#23
Posted 29 May 2008 - 13:08
Originally posted by Racer.Demon
Oh, about the Rebaque HR100 which I initially included - it was built by Penske along Lotus 79 lines (but which car wasn't in 1979?) but copied the FW07 sidepod arrangement. So in fact a new one-off car, which means it doesn't deserve to be on the list...
True, the Rebaque is often referred to as a Lotus copy, but wasn't at all for the reasons you give, though it did use many Lotus suspension components. Hector wasn't anywhere near as hopeless as he's sometimes made out to be, but with a better driver, that car could have got some good results.
#24
Posted 29 May 2008 - 13:24
#25
Posted 29 May 2008 - 13:40
Originally posted by Levin68
Reading Shokabuku's description of what happened to the Tyrell F1 team leads me to wonder what became of the Lotus F1 infrastructure when they called it a day? They mightn't have been very competitive at the end but they were a substantially complete constructor package still. Was it acquired by someone else or did it form the basis of Classic Team Lotus?
Thanks.
When the consortium that was led by Peter Collins couldn't find the finances to keep Team Lotus running, it was sold to David Hunt (James Hunt's brother).
David tried to get the team (which by this time didn't include an engine deal or drivers) running again, but unfortunately couldn't. In 1995 he "merged" Team Lotus with the Pacific F1 team, which appeared to be just renaming the existing Pacific team as Pacific Team Lotus.
I think that anything owned by the team was sold at auction, and as far as I know David still owns the rights to the Team Lotus name.
#26
Posted 29 May 2008 - 15:11
#27
Posted 29 May 2008 - 15:22
• 1974: runs as Iso-Marlboro, renames Iso-Marlboro IR to Iso-Marlboro FW
[/QUOTE]
Don´t know whether this should count. Otherwise you would have also Tyrrell 007 > Tyrrell P34 > Tyrrell 008 and probably dozens of Ferraris. I think it´s just a different "model" designation, but no change of identity.
[quote]
Williams
• 1977: Wolf splits off and starts his own team[/quote]
Did he? I thought he carried on with Williams Team while Frank Williams founded WGPE?
[quote]
• 1978: FW05-1 and Williams-built FW05-3 are renamed back to Hesketh 308C-1 and 308C-3
[/quote]
Whow, I missed that one completely!
[quote]
Wolf
• 1976: becomes involved as a part owner of Williams
• 1977: creates own WR design on original Hesketh outline
[/quote] see my remarks above
[quote]
• 1980: sells third-generation WR design (WR7 to WR9) to Fittipaldi where it is renamed F7
[/quote]
Didn´t he sell the whole team?
[quote]
Benetton
• 1986: turns Toleman into Benetton
[/quote]
Another question I want to ask since a long time: I remember distantly that Ted Toleman did not "operate" the team directly, but that he more or less gave the money and the name (like Leyton House, JPS or Footwork I think). This is long ago and I am not sure whether I remember correctly, but if this is true, what was the "real" team behind that name? Sheldon has the older Formula 2 cars as "Docking-Spitzleys", could that be the answer to my question?
[quote]
BAR
• 1998: buys Tyrrell and engages Reynard for first own design[/quote]
I think I can remember they actually let the Tyrrells have another year while already owning the team. But without real interest not too much money was spent for the development of the car, so Tyrrell stepped out already during the season. I think it was more or less to keep the FOCA membership...
[quote]
Maserati
[/quote]
Maserati Platé, or don´t you count them because they were Formula 2?
[quote]
Ligier
• 1981: changes identity to Talbot
• 1997: taken over by Prost, Ligier JS45 becomes Prost JS45
[/quote]
sold again to become "Phoenix"...
[quote]March
• 1990-'91: renamed to Leyton House for two seasons[/quote]
1993 design sold to become a Lotus...
[quote]Osella
• 1991-’92: enters as Fondmetal and Fomet before folding, Osella FA1ME is revised to become Fondmetal FA1ME-90[/quote]
Question again: Please somebody expleain me the difference between Fondmetal and Fomet.
[quote]Merzario
[/quote]
Merzario A1 based on March 761?
[quote]Coloni
• 1992: taken over by Andrea Sassetti to form Andrea Moda
[/quote]
...trying to enter a Coloni front and Dallara rear initially...
#28
Posted 29 May 2008 - 15:26
#29
Posted 29 May 2008 - 15:53
Lancia D50 excepted.
#30
Posted 29 May 2008 - 16:19
Toleman was indeed more of a sponsor, i.e. not much involved in the day-to-day business. That was managed by Alex Hawkridge, iirc. Still, it was owned by Ted, and the Toleman Motor Sport Group was a "proper" team!Originally posted by uechtel
Another question I want to ask since a long time: I remember distantly that Ted Toleman did not "operate" the team directly, but that he more or less gave the money and the name (like Leyton House, JPS or Footwork I think). This is long ago and I am not sure whether I remember correctly, but if this is true, what was the "real" team behind that name? Sheldon has the older Formula 2 cars as "Docking-Spitzleys", could that be the answer to my question?
Docking-Spitzley was an F2 team that built a copy of the Toleman TG280 (which was a copy of the Ralt RT2, and also built by Lola as the Toleman T850 - hey, that's another conundrum, worth a thread?

I believe Fondmetal was the sponsor and (at least) part time owner, a wheel manufacturer. Fomet was the car manufacturer, a brief enterprise of ex-March people? Need to look this up, if no one beats me. In any case, the names were only accidentally similar. Wasn't Fomet also building one of the Larrousse?Originally posted by uechtel
Question again: Please somebody expleain me the difference between Fondmetal and Fomet.
#31
Posted 29 May 2008 - 16:23
Just like the 1916 Premier, which is always described as a Peugeot copy. If people only had eyes in their heads they could actually see the difference...Originally posted by kayemod
True, the Rebaque is often referred to as a Lotus copy, but wasn't at all

#32
Posted 29 May 2008 - 16:28
No! Diatto, Diatto!Originally posted by Vitesse2
Ditto, ditto!Originally posted by fines
Diatto => Maserati => Tec-Mec :grin:



#33
Posted 29 May 2008 - 16:32
#34
Posted 29 May 2008 - 16:35
#35
Posted 29 May 2008 - 17:27
Originally posted by fines
Docking-Spitzley was an F2 team that built a copy of the Toleman TG280 (which was a copy of the Ralt RT2, and also built by Lola as the Toleman T850 - hey, that's another conundrum, worth a thread?). Don't recall what became of Spitzley, but Alan Docking ran a very succesful Formula 3 team for many years.
Ray Rowan built a couple of "Tolemans" and a "Roman" or two out of Toleman bits, and then there's the SPA...
Oh and at least a couple of the cars ended up in under-two-litre Can-Am during the eighties, I think Ralts as well as Tolemans/Docking-Spitzleys?
There is a book, a small but obscure one but definitely a fascinating one, in that family of cars. Same as the Reynard sports prototypes that gave rise (and components ;)) to the Zytek, DBA, Creation, Nasamax, ProTran and Uncle Tom Cobley and all of sports car racing.
#36
Posted 29 May 2008 - 17:33

Ta, Pete!
#37
Posted 29 May 2008 - 18:25

On Tyrrell and BAR: yes, you remembered correctly - it was a similar deal to Renault/Benetton, so I'll add that to what I've got. Strange that I did remember the Tyrrell test hack.

I have the Phoenix thing in Ligier's accompanying story, so don't worry.
The Pacific/Lotus 'merger' is another interesting issue, which bumps my memory of a similar 'merger' between Minardi and Scuderia Italia. Anyone remember that one?
And yes, fines, Fomet was a UK design office run by Robin Herd - he'll be figuring a lot in the accompanying stories! - which became independent after Fondmetal's first year and sold its next design to Larrousse. He was to stay with Larrousse until the end. In fact, the LH93 and LH94 designations pointed to Larrousse-Herd, obviously.
#38
Posted 29 May 2008 - 23:13
#39
Posted 29 May 2008 - 23:58
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#40
Posted 30 May 2008 - 04:13

#41
Posted 30 May 2008 - 09:12
Originally posted by petefenelon
written as fluff not serious history and occasionally containing spleen-venting and despair ;).
You mean this?
Stebro – a Canadian Formula Junior car with a slightly enlarged Cortina engine that staggered around at the back of the field at the Glen. Clearly influenced Ford’s later strategy with Jaguar.

#42
Posted 30 May 2008 - 09:19
If Williams were sold for instance , would the same thing happen? Probably..
#43
Posted 30 May 2008 - 09:22
Originally posted by uechtel
Oh yes, reading that text - how could we miss the FIRST > Life???
There are more things that come back to mind now: the ATS-Rial connection, the Osella FA1F being an old Alfa tub, the S931 Simtek being the Bravo study etc.
#44
Posted 30 May 2008 - 09:57

#46
Posted 31 May 2008 - 06:07