57 replies to this topic

[William Hunt]

By 2030 or at least by 2035 I suspect all of them, except Ferrari, will be out because of the negative image that the increasing climate change problems will cause. Let's not forget, we already had people losing their homes, burned, in Southern France and Spain and Greece last year in the EU, so people are already losing their houses because of it. It will only get worse every year. At one point in the future, more and more people will also turn against and focus on a sport like F1.

Not because cars, or autosport, is or will be the most damaging to climate. For sure large boats on open sea, heavy industry or agriculture are more damaging, but it's the image that F1 has and since Liberty is in charge that immage has even become more decadent so it will have a heavy impact on the car manufacturers who's business is selling cars, racing is just a marketing tool or side show at best for them. They are not racers like Andretti are.

 

Because of the bad management and lack of progress they have displayed the past seasons, I would say Alpine / Renault is the most likely candidate to quit first. If Mercedes quits then maybe Ineos will buy the team.

Edited by William Hunt, 28 February 2024 - 00:16.

[Chick0]

My guess is that sooner or later once Toto loses some more he will leave and sells his 1/3 of Merc F1,  they will at that point return to just being a PU supplier and will sell the Brackley operations.  

[aray]

Ford and Audi.

[vee10]

I see no reason why Alpine would quit regardless of results, there is no other way of advertising a new brand that has the exposure of F1 and is self funding.

 

They are in a great position to sell their road cars.

 

Mclaren have not won a championship since 2008 and have terrible seasons with Honda etc, hasn't stopped them selling a lot of sports cars.

[Sterzo]

I see no reason why Alpine would quit regardless of results, there is no other way of advertising a new brand that has the exposure of F1 and is self funding.

 

Alpine sold 4,328 cars in 2023, which (I would guess) represents sales worth no more than £400 million. That's sales, not profits. F1 cost-capped spending alone is 135 million, plus all the stuff that isn't cost-capped. So at first glance the team doesn't seem to be anywhere near justified by its potential impact on sales, though it's true they are growing spectacularly.

 

However, that disregards the resale value of the team itself, which Liberty's maybe controversial "franchise" approach has caused to rocket. That's where the real money is. Here's a quote from Forbes from July last year:

 

"...Alpine, whose owner, Renault, revealed last month that it had sold a 24% stake to a group led by RedBird Capital Partners and Otro Capital in a deal that valued the team at just over $900 million. The terms of the agreement were locked in eight months ago, according to people familiar with the negotiations, and Forbes believes the team could now fetch $1.4 billion."

 

So, as you say, F1 is effectively self-funding.

[lustigson]

Honda always appears to be on the fence when it comes to F1, but they have a deal with Team Silverstone.

 

Renault have come and gone and come and gone and — they could dump Team Enstone again.

 

But Mercedes already sold their majority share in Team Brackley a few years ago, which is now basically a privateer team badged by a sponsor.

 

Ford isn't coming in as a manufacturer, but basically as an engine badger. Can't imagine that will ever come good for them. 

[HistoryFan]

19th and 20th for Alpine. I think they're done...

[CoolBreeze]

Half of them should leave.