Confirmation that Renault is returning to Formula One by taking over the money-starved Lotus F1 operation has finally arrived. Meanwhile, rampant rumors of other big names coming back to or entering the premier open wheel series in the world has created F1 manufacturer mayhem.
It’s time to look at the prospects of five big names in racing and their status in the series.
Audi
Probably the hottest rumor since the split between Red Bull Racing’s teams and the Renault power plant has been the investment of the Volkswagen group into the sport. With reports that it would be under the Audi marque, with the program to replace the World Endurance Championship team in 2018, Volkswagen would invest in the team and keep on Red Bull as a primary sponsor.
However, in the fallout of controversy surrounding the fixing of diesel emissions testing, Volkswagen CEO, and arguably their strongest advocate for a Formula One team, Martin Winterkorn resigned. With impending penalties from the U.S. Environmental Protection agency and further investigation from European officials, it appears Audi’s move to F1 is dead in the water.
Aston Martin
Among other reports coming out of the F1 paddock is the investment of Aston Martin as a sponsor to a Mercedes-powered team. Following in the footsteps of Infiniti, whatever team Aston Martin would join would likely not change the brand of engine, with Mercedes wanting to keep their name on their cars. However, it does set up an interesting battle among Mercedes-powered teams for the added sponsorship dollars, which can be the difference between contending for wins, and running at the middle of the pack.
Look for Williams Martini Racing as well as Force India to make moves to try and secure Aston Martin’s support. At an outside chance though could be the young Manor F1 team, who is seeking to secure a Mercedes engine deal in 2016, and could use added cash to help elevate the team from back-marker status.
Infiniti
Initially investing in Red Bull Racing in 2013, and becoming a primary sponsor and team presenting sponsor, Infiniti came into the sport not as a constructor, but as a brand. But now, with near constant threats of both Red Bull and Toro Rosso exiting F1 without a strong engine partner, could their future in the series be cast into doubt? While there are certainly a number of teams who would hope for added investment from a sponsor like Infiniti (McLaren comes to mind), it appears unlikely that the car manufacturer would stay pending a Red Bull departure.
Toyota
It has now been six seasons since Toyota last competed as a constructor at this level. Meanwhile, the brand’s successes in other racing series have come progressively, including in NASCAR. Expansion into the World Endurance Championship recently has proven challenging, much like their tenure in Formula One.
The question becomes, would Toyota be willing to return to a series they invested large sums of money into, with little return on investment. Yet, with rampant development underway with their works teams in the WEC, and a return of the manufacturer to the World Rally Championship in 2017, one can never say never with Toyota and F1 linking up again.
Jaguar
The Jaguar name has not been seen on track in F1 since Ford sold the team to Red Bull in 2004. Since then, Jaguar’s racing involvement has been limited to television sponsorship spots such as that on American broadcaster NBC Sports, and international sports car racing. However, unlike its earlier days in motorsport, Jaguar no longer sits under the Ford brand, but that of Tata Motors. The former HRT sponsor could be seen as a potential investor or constructor into the future of Formula One, but likely not until 2020 or later should Jaguar’s fortunes continue to improve.
One thing is for sure, the future of Formula One will rely on marquee names and sponsorships continuing to invest in the sport. And the help and support of names like these would go a long way to secure the sport’s future in a turbulent time in motorsports.
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