Stefan Grand Prix

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Stefan Grand Prix (short: SGP ) is a Serbian Formula 1 project led by businessman Zoran Stefanović, which was planning to enter the top motorsport class for the 2010 season , but was ultimately not given a starting place. In June 2009, the FIA had not considered the project . After the former Toyota factory team withdrew at the end of the 2009 season , Stefanović took over the remains and speculated on the failure of one of the newly registered teams Lotus Racing , Campos Grand Prix , US F1 and Virgin Racing . Since 2017, Stefanović has been trying again to build a Formula 1 team.

history

1997

As early as 1997, Zoran Stefanović expressed an interest in taking over Lola's failed Formula 1 project with the T97 / 30 , which did not qualify for the first race of the 1997 season and after the main sponsor withdrew, could not compete in the second race . However, the takeover failed.

2010

For the registrations for the 2010 season, which took place against the background of the planned budget limit in Formula 1, the application from SGP was not considered by the FIA . Stefanović then initiated an attempt to take legal action in Formula 1, but broke it off again. After the sudden withdrawal of the Formula 1 team from Toyota in November 2009, the Serb bought the remains and the developments that had already taken place for the 2010 season - in the hope of maintaining the vacant starting place for the 2010 season in this way. However, this was given to the Sauber team.

SGP nevertheless continued to prepare for a possible Formula 1 entry and placed its hopes on the failure of one of the newly registered teams Campos and US F1 . F1 promoter Bernie Ecclestone also publicly supported these hopes when he said in an interview that he assumes that two of the new racing teams will not be able to finish their cars for the next season, but that he still expects 24 cars to start. Shortly before the start of the season it was announced that at least the US project US F1 will not compete. SGP had material flown to the location of the first race in Bahrain in order to be able to step in at short notice. In addition, a presentation by the team was announced for the first week of March 2010, but it did not actually take place. On March 3, 2010, the FIA ​​announced that SGP would not be admitted to the 2010 Formula 1 season.

The initial plan to use the 2010 season exclusively for test drives in the event of a non-approval by the FIA ​​could not be implemented, as almost all of Stefan GP's contracts were tied to a starting place in Formula 1. This means that even though Stefanovic did not enter Formula 1 in 2010, he was able to keep the financial losses low.

2011

In April 2010, Stefan Grand Prix, alongside Durango and Epsilon Euskadi, again applied for the 13th place on the grid in the 2011 Formula 1 season . However, the FIA ​​decided in September 2010 not to allow another team for the following season.

2019

In July 2017, the FIA ​​confirmed talks with Stefanović about his team's entry into the 2019 Formula 1 season. Stefanović said he had built a base near the Italian city of Parma that already employs 40 people. Enrique Scalabroni was hired as technical director .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ “European Commission receives F1 compliant” (Pitpass.com on August 1, 2009, English)
  2. ↑ “Grand Prix cars that never raced” (8w.forix.com, English)
  3. ^ "Stefan GP withdraws the lawsuit" (Motorsport-Magazin.com on December 18, 2009)
  4. ↑ "Stefan GP does not get Toyota starting place" ( Auto-motor-und-sport.de on December 2, 209)
  5. ↑ “Ecclestone has doubts over US F1 and Campos” (En.espnf1.com on December 22, 2009, English)
  6. ^ "Stefan: Presentation in the next week" (Motorsport-Total.com on February 27, 2010)
  7. ↑ "FIA published entry list without Stefan GP" (Motorsport-Total.com on March 3, 2010)
  8. ↑ "Stefan: No starting place, no contracts" ( Memento of the original from March 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Formel1.de March 2010) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.formel1.de
  9. ↑ FIA decides: No further team for 2011 , motorsport-total.com on September 8, 2010
  10. ↑ Dominik Sharaf: Stefan GP: Preparations for Formula 1 entry in 2019 are underway. www.motorsport-total.com, July 13, 2017, accessed on March 16, 2017 .