15 replies to this topic

[Silverstone96]

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/119206

For what seems such a low price what a shame no one in Europe picked this fleet of cars up, an alternative single seater series run at classic tracks that F1 has left behind would have pretty good

[pacificquay]

It wouldn't. There's far too much detritus around as it is

[Peat]

Handsome set of cars.

It'll fail, but good luck to 'em!

[TimRTC]

If it was going to work, they wouldn't have to be selling the cars off! After A1GP, both AutoGP and FA1 have both tried to use the cars and failed (yes AutoGP still runs but 9 car grids are not sustainable).

 

The new Superlicence regs will make it even less likely that people will want to deviate from the EuroF3, FR2.0/3.5 and GP3/2 path into F1 which is where the money is, in junior drivers. Unfortunately the sheer cost of running a single seater campaign means that it has limited appeal to older pay-drivers like you find in the GT fields where running costs can be split between several drivers as well.

 

I think this African series is aiming to compete with the Indian MRF off-season championship and so might do reasonably well, that seems to attract a lot of young drivers wanting to get more running in between series and is obviously a lot cheaper to commit to than a full European season. With shorter flight, lack of jet lag etc. I think South Africa might appeal to drivers more than India.

[loki]

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/119206

For what seems such a low price what a shame no one in Europe picked this fleet of cars up, an alternative single seater series run at classic tracks that F1 has left behind would have pretty good

Unfortunately there is no market for such a series.

[Fastcake]

I'm just surprised they paid £1.5 million for seven year-old cars. There's probably dozens of different racing cars mouldering away in warehouses from all the collapsed series and obsolete formulas.

[GrumpyYoungMan]

I'm just surprised they paid £1.5 million for seven year-old cars. There's probably dozens of different racing cars mouldering away in warehouses from all the collapsed series and obsolete formulas.

But how many have working engines and spares? <- maybe they have enough spares for a few years....

 

£1.5 for 21 cars seems very cheap in my opinion.. especially as they have engines and spares...

Edited by GrumpyYoungMan, 28 May 2015 - 19:33.

[Dan333SP]

If I were ungodly wealthy and starting a series of my own, I'd buy up the Superleague Formula cars. The V12s in those were lovely things. These A1GP "Ferraris" sound like an F430 GT car.

[EvilPhil II]

Its probably Bernie about to launch GP1 

[TheRacingElf]

Well those cars are about as fast as Manor if I compare the Sepang laptimes and that with just 600hp.. That's what a F2004 chassis and Michelin tyres can do!

[Fastcake]

But how many have working engines and spares? <- maybe they have enough spares for a few years....

 

£1.5 for 21 cars seems very cheap in my opinion.. especially as they have engines and spares...

 

The engines and spares would generally be included with the chassis. They'd normally be owned either by the series organiser or individual teams, or their administrators, and sold on as a package afterwards.

 

I would have presumed that as they were buying the entire inventory that's been sitting unsold for years, it would have been somewhat less. There are plenty of similarly specced cars on the market, and it's hard to shift a car no longer eligible to compete in any formula.

 

If I were ungodly wealthy and starting a series of my own, I'd buy up the Superleague Formula cars. The V12s in those were lovely things. These A1GP "Ferraris" sound like an F430 GT car.

 

The Panoz DP01s are still around somewhere.

[midgrid]

The revival of a high-level, South African-based single-seater championship can only be a good thing.  I hope it works out!

[TimRTC]

Maybe they won't be too scared to race in Marrakesh for the WTCC support race in 2016....

[Spillage]

I'm optimistic about the idea. As other posters have said, the single-seater ladder is already far too cluttered, but Africa seems to me to be quite a gap in the market. FNippon seems to work alright in Japan, so why not an African-based single-seater series?

[krapmeister]

Maybe Jacob Zuma could build a track on his property, you know... for security reasons.

[Disgrace]

I'm just surprised they paid £1.5 million for seven year-old cars. There's probably dozens of different racing cars mouldering away in warehouses from all the collapsed series and obsolete formulas.

 

Not seven, but 11. These cars are just repackaged F2004s.