Big AL is right on Ferrari owning F1. I think Ferrari spend upwards of 450 million dollars a season in F1. That's not cheap. You pretty much have to pay to play. Unless GM's willing to go all out and win at whatever expense, it's best they stay out of F1.

Speaking of huge budgets, BAR Honda can stay somewhat competitive with Ferrari at half the cost it seems because they seem to spend their money wiser (larger proportion on research development and smaller on drive salary, etc...). Guess it helps that they are also a good engine builder.

 

Both are in dire straights as it is. Indycar had the slight edge but with Chevrolet and possibly Toyota pulling out after 2006, they're not much better off than Champcar who have be having trouble getting teams committed. If one of the minority owners in Champcar ends up purchasing Cosworth from Ford (as is currently rumored) that will give Champcar a leg up and could help force the merger issue.

F1 isn't much better off. They may end up needing a few teams (like Ferrari) to field three cars in 2005 just to have complete field. We should know a little more by Monday's 2005 season commitment deadline.

 

I read somewhere yeasterday where it was costing Jaguar something like $2 million a week to be in F1. I can now see why Ford was concerned. Its one thing if you're successfull in a series, but $2 million a week just to DNF?

 

In regards to F1, if they want to sell Cadillacs in Europe, there's hardly a better way to get their foot in the door. Now, weighing that benefit vs. the $500 mil/year buy in they'd need to be competitive, that's the hard question.

 

Even 2 million a week simply isn't enough it seems to field a competitive F1 team. Looking at the 2003 season budgets (only one i could find online), Jagaurs total 2003 season budget was close to 79 million, to Ferrari's 444 million. How can you compete when the guys in the winner circle are spending 5.5 times more than you? If Jaguar was spending 2 million a week, then Ferrari was spending 12+ million a week. In the end, they didn't want to invest the needed $$$, time, and effort, and staying only to finish mid-pack wasn't worth the price. If your budget is mid-pack (actually Jaguars 2003 budget was near the bottom with only the Minardi team spending less), then you can expect to finish no better mid-pack at best.

On a side note, i've read that GM is also pullingb out the 4.0-liter Opel Astras from the DTM series in Germany as well.

 

Remember that Enzo Ferrari sold cars so that he could fund his racing....

 

Actually, I think that's what they're currently spending to continue testing their 2005 car in the event they come back next season. (Even though Ford has already said they're pulling the plug.)

 

That's just crazy.

 

I think the budget thing is one of the main reasons that NASCAR has thrived when it seems like every other racing orginzation is struggling. They are doing things to cut budgets to keep it competitive and keep "factory" backed engines and cars in the series. Plus there is very little research that is needed from the manufacturer.

All of this GM pulling out of racing series is sounding like what they did in the early 60s.