After the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix Simtek went into bankruptcy due to the financial situation of the team. In the aftermath Jos Verstappen lost his seat on the grid as well. Rumours went that Verstappen was in talks with Ligier, McLaren, Sauber and Footwork for a seat in 1996. Eventually Verstappen signed for Footwork Hart. What many forgot is that there was another Dutch driver in the scope for a
Its 1994 when DAMS announced their plans for their own Formula One Project. In Collaboration with Reynard DAMS would start working on their car. The plan was to debut in the Formula One in 1996 with their own team. From the beginning on the French team struggled with the financial picture, as well the renewed regulations due to the deadly accident of Ratzenberger and Senna at Imola in 1994 didn’t
I don’t think I have to start about that horror weekend at Imola in 1994. The weekend were Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna let their lives after crashing their cars. In the aftermath, the FIA implemented new safety measurements that had to prevent new deadly crashes in the sport. While there was also a plan to keep Senna’s legacy alive in and outside the Formula One. This his all started
You can’t imagine it now though there was a time a lot of drivers tested in the Formula One. Or teams tested in between races to test new aerodynamics or new engines. Or just to cash extra money by letting unknown drivers, who will never arrive, experience the Formula 1.As many of these drivers are long forgotten, and there isn’t a real overview of the test drivers, its all bits
The story behind a photo just a try out for the website to extend the content that can be posted. The idea behind it? Recently several photos appeared on twitter about unknown drivers in Formula One cars. Mostly test sessions. If you dig up the information and manage to speak with these drivers some lovely story is to evolve out of it. For the first edition is the photo of
Nearly five years ago i published one of my first articles on unracedf1.com. The last twenty-Five years of Team Lotus Part 1. There are multiple reasons why it never came to a part two in those years. However, this article can be seen as Part 2. After the team went into bankruptcy the team was rumoured a couple of time to return to the paddock. Eventually the team made it’s
2005 was the last year that privateers, the small teams, appeared on the grid. Minardi was the last team of an era were many tried their luck in the Formula One. Due the coming ban on turbo engines in 1989 and the restrictions, it was financially attractive for teams to try their luck. Most of them failed to even complete two season, some only did a few races before they
I have written a couple articles already about the Pacific Grand Prix team which folded at the end of 1995. The team keeps on intriguing me as I keep on finding new information about their plans for 1996. The latest information I figured in my own archive is some information about Neil Brown and an unknown V10 engine, which would power the Pacific Team in 1996. Time to dedicate a
In 1996 Schumacher moved to Ferrari and by 1997 key former Benetton personnel like Ross Brawn or Rory Bryne (the B194 designer), Tad Czapski (the engine electronic’s guru) joined him. Ferrari then went from being an occasional race winner to serial championship contenders over a sustained period. Questions have since been asked, why did Schumacher and his former Benetton colleagues stick together? Was it because they had sidestepped the rules
Minardi is probably one of the few teams in the rich history of the Formula One with plenty of rumoured drivers to drive for the team. Even more rumoured are the takeovers of the Minardi F1 Team. As to quote Paul Stoddart in 2005 “Over 40 groups were interested in taking over Minardi”. Let’s uncover history and see the almost driver moves for Minardi. 1984 – Minardi M184 Debut with
