The 1980s were some special era in the Formula One. We went from atmospheric towards 1200HP Turbo engines back to atmospheric. This all happened in period of ten years. An interesting era with lots of hard fighting, controversy and amazing battles on the grid. It is also the era of teams leaving like ATS only to reappear under another name, RIAL obviously, after the Turbo era ended. There is a reason I take Günter Schmid’s his attempts as an example. Bob Sparshott was looking into the Formula One. No, it was not his first time.
I hear some of you thinking, Bob Sparshott is well known in the Formula One with BS Fabrications. What do you mean with the forgotten aspirations?
A little bit of a history lesson. Bob Sparshott a former engineer at Team Lotus and John Woodington established the company BS Fabrications in 1972 in Luton. In their first year of existing, they were already active in the Formula One. BS Fabrications supplied Mike Beuttler with the March 721G fitted with the Cosworth DFV V8 engine. Indeed a F1/F2 hybrid. They appeared on the grid in 1972 for the French and British Grand Prix.
While already active in the Formula One, their main interest was engineering and manufacturing Formula One parts. Eventually, in 1976, BS Fabrication returned on the grid. This time with Henri Pescarolo in their Surtees TS19. For 1977, the team appeared with Brett Lunger with a March 761 and a McLaren M23 on the grid. Their last season in 1978 again a McLaren M23 and later a McLaren M26 were used for Brett Lunger and Nelson Piquet. The team didn’t score points. It seems that in late 1980 the doors closed for BS Fabrications.
However, Bob Sparshott established a new company a couple of years later Bob Sparshott Automotive. In 1984, BS Automotive appears in collaboration with PMC Motorsport in the FIA Formula 2. Christian Danner was one of their drivers that year behind the wheel of their March 842. It would be the last year of the Formula 2 championship. As for 1985, a new format would be launch to attract more teams.
In 1985, the European Formula 3000 Championship was born. BS Automotive appeared that season on the grid with a March 85B with their star driver Christian Danner. While the grid was filled more with hybrids, it was competitive. Eventually, Danner would win the championship for Bob Sparshott. In 1986, the team switched from March to Lola as their chassis supplier. It would be a disturbing year for the team. The Lola T86/50 was not what they expected it to be. Only Swede Tomas Kaiser would score a couple of points for the team. However, it is the year when Bob Sparshott announced his interest in the Formula One. Yes, like Günter Schmid.
The FISA announced in September 1986 that atmospheric engines would become the norm again in the Formula One. They tried to encourage F3000 teams to make a switch to the Formula One. Balestere even stated that at least three F3000 teams were interested to enter the Formula One. There was one team truly interested, which was BS Automotive. Bob Sparshott and Alan Jakeman admitted their interest and were already working on a plan to enter the Formula One in 1987 or 1988.
Indeed new teams would appear on the grid in the period between 1987 and 1992. However, BS Automotive did not appear on the grid. Just weeks after their announcement looking into the Formula one the team abandoned the route to Formula One. Instead, the team kept active in the F3000 in 1987. It would be the last year for the team. Having troubles again, this time with the Lola chassis it seem the funding dried up and there was no attempt made to be race in 1988 it seems.
