In 2008 the FIA announced that there were four spots available on the grid for 2010, and teams were able to place a bit fora n entry in 2009. Many bids for an entry were received by the FIA, and one of the most interesting, and the same time weirdest, bids was that from MYF1DREAM.com, officially named MYF1DREAM Limited. A fan based Formula One team! Can you believe it? I still they actually really tried it!
So what was MYF1DREAM.com for an attempt. Well at the first place they were interested to appear on the grid in 2010, so far the bid was serious. However, how they tried to reach this felt more like F1manager from EA-Sports. You know that, some say terrible, game were you could create your own team and win with Minardi powered by an 20million cost Ferrari engine the championship season in 2000 (Somehow you could just make the deal even with no money).
MYF1DREAM.com was, as far as I could found out, the brainchild of some guy named Ashley Wood, who seemed to be very experienced in the motor sport if I have to believe several websites. The team started in 2007 as a Facebook page, which is still online somehow, to reach as much as possible fans and together with them make them Formula One more accessible. How? By planning an own Formula One team. It would be the first team that appeared on the grid with personal chosen by fans.
I found out that MYF1DREAM was already established on the 12th of December 2007, and the same day it was registered at the English Chamber of Commerce, however it was registered as MYGPDREAM.com. This name would return years later. The team renamed their registered name in 2009 or 2010; I could not find the exact date or year, towards MYF1DREAM.com. During the period of 2007 and 2009 the team or better said Ashley Wood, was working on some marketing and improved the website, which was online since 2007.
In early 2009 more became known of the MYF1DREAM.com team. Knowing that running an Formula One team, or even start a brand new one, costs millions there was first the plan to take over an existing team. I’m not sure which team It would have been but probably USF1 if they managed it to the grid. MYF1DREAM.com came with a similar investment system as happened years early with the LOLA-Mastercard team. The first main goal was to gain 70.000 members. If they would reach it the idea was to gain 3million members. Based on the 3 million members the team came with an interesting but not surprising construction.
Before we dive into the packages, I have to explain how the team would choose their drivers and so on. People could vote for the drivers they would like to see in the car, which engine, which tyre supplier (probably only Pirelli but rumours went back then of a return of Michelin), which manager and so on. By voting you would rank and the top ranks would be chosen, of course that was the idea behind it.
It was rumoured however that Dallara would design the chassis for the team and Buemi and Trulli would become the driver for the team. Probably Danica Patrick would become the test driver. As the team wishes to have a female driver in an earlier stage of the project. As I already sad like you were playing an F1 manager game.
As a member, you had the choice of four packages to support the team. The first package was the Pledge Membership; it actually meant that you had access to the Forum and you had to pay 40 euro’s if you wanted to vote for the drivers and so on. The Pledge membership was basically nothing more than register yourself, and by register show your support for the team’s dream.
Then you had the Silver Membership; this packages would cost you 35 euros every year. When you were a Silver member, you were able to visit all pages on the website. And you received rights to vote for engine suppliers and so on. However, you were not able to vote for the drivers and for other personal such as managers and technicians.
The other package was the Golden Membership; it would costs you 109 euros every year. In return you received complete access to the website, you were able to vote on all aspects of the team’s needs, you had a little influence in the teams decisions and you would receive a goody bag of the team. It was also rumoured that Golden members would get discount for visiting races.
The last package was the Platinum Membership; it would cost you 220.000 euros a year. It meant that you were one of the main sponsors of the team and your name of your companies name would be visible during three Grand Prix that year. You had also access to all races, and you had influence on the cars livery and which drivers would use which car.
Explained how MYF1DREAM.com tried to gain money via members, basically just sponsoring, the team lodged on the 28th of March 2009 around 09:00 AM their entry for the 2010 FIA World Championship at the FIA. On the 12th of June 2009 the FIA would publish the teams that were chosen for another round of bids. MYF1DREAM.com wasn’t on the list, as you could imagine of course.
You would expect that a project such as MYF1DREAM.com would disappear soon. However, I found out that the same time the team had also a project named MYF2DREAM.com, yes really! The intention? To enter the F2 championship with their own team, the same way as they did with the Formula One. I could not find any more information about it on the site they used for It, and I’m not sure how serious this attempt was to enter the F2 championship.
A few days later after the FIA denied MYF1DREAM’s entry for the 2010 season, the team stated that they would return in 2010 for a 2011 bid however this wouldn’t happen. Later in 2010 the team changed their legal name from MYF1DREAM Limited to MYGPDREAM Limited. The team stated
“We changed the name of the team, out of respect and use of the F1 trademark”. A few weeks followed with no serious movements on the site.
The site got a new design, and was now accessible on MYGPDREAM.com and soon the news appeared on the website that the team turned towards electric racing, and was interested to join the EV CUP 2011 series. However, due problems with the design of the car, the organisation behind it had no other option to cancel the series for 2011. It would also mean the end of the Fan based racing team. Or better said the end of MYF1DREAM.com / MYEVDREAM.com / MYGPDREAM.com / MYF2DREAM.com.
In 2014 however it was rumoured, and I never heard this before, that STEFAN GP was investigating an similar approach to enter the Formula One with their team. I don’t know if I have to take this serious as I know Stefanovic had better opportunities and has better options and connections if they want to enter the Formula One.
Sources: MYF1DREAM.com / UKBusinessForums / Companieshouse.gov.uk / Autosport.com / Autosport Magazine / MYEVDREAM.com / EVcup.com
