Despite HRT’s failure, Brabham could return to Formula 1
While Luiz Pérez-Sala, director of the HRT team, explains the reasons for the Spanish project's bankruptcy, the Brabham family, led by David, one of the sons of the triple world champion, does not rule out the possibility of the Brabham name returning in the coming years. However, the issue of the rights to the Brabham name must be fully resolved, which is currently not the case.
Bloodless, the HRT team will not participate in the 2013 World Championship, after three seasons spent languishing at the back of the pack. After the FIA unveiled the list of entrants in early December 2012, which did not include HRT, the demise of the Spanish team had not yet been officially announced, as the officials remained silent.
In the columns of the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, Luis Pérez-Sala, director of the HRT team since the takeover by Thesan Capital, finally breaks his silence and explains the reasons for HRT’s failure: « It was impossible to continue. When we decided to take charge of the team, we were promised support that never came. »
In *Marca*, Pedro de la Rosa, who had been poached from McLaren on the eve of the 2012 season, does not hide his disappointment with the situation: “There hasn’t been an official announcement, but we all have the feeling that the project is going to end. The saddest part is that there has never been a Spanish team before and, now, I don’t think we will see another one. It was a historic opportunity. With a great champion like Fernando [Alonso], it’s the right time and an excellent context for national interest. I think it will be very difficult to meet these circumstances again.” And he adds: “If the project has failed, we are all somewhat responsible.”
Consequently, only twenty-two cars will take their places on the starting grid of the next Australian Grand Prix, which does not displease Bernie Ecclestone, who would even like to see the number decrease a little more: “I prefer to have ten teams. I never wanted twelve!” he recently told the agency Reuters. And the Briton explained: “It’s just that ten teams are easier to manage for promoters, for transport. I prefer to have ten… as long as we don’t lose Ferrari.”
If the regulations allow the possibility of having up to thirteen teams, the failure of the HRT project illustrates the difficulties new structures face today, in an economic crisis context and in the absence of a genuine cost-cutting policy. However, this does not seem to deter potential projects.
Thus, while he is involved in a legal procedure to protect the family name, David Brabham does not rule out the possibility of a return of a team bearing the name that his father made famous by becoming the first and only world champion driving one of his own cars: “For the moment, it is a very sensitive issue, but yes, there is the possibility of returning to Formula 1,” the Australian confides to TotalRace. And David Brabham adds: “At the moment, we have backstage issues concerning the rights of the name. It’s 98% settled, and when it is 100%, we will see what we can do.”
It was in 1962 that the Brabham team made its debut in Formula 1, initially with Lotus chassis and then, starting from the German Grand Prix, with an in-house chassis designed by Ron Tauranac. After their first victory, thanks to Dan Gurney, at the 1964 French Grand Prix, Jack Brabham claimed the title in 1966 driving a Brabham BT19 and BT20 with a Repco engine. When he retired from competition in 1970, Jack Brabham sold his share to Ron Tauranac, who, weary of the team’s difficulties, decided to sell it in early 1972 to Bernie Ecclestone.
Under the baton of the Briton, Brabham quickly returned to glory, with Nelson Piquet’s titles in 1981 and 1983 being the pinnacle. However, Bernie Ecclestone gradually abandoned his team to focus on managing the commercial affairs of Formula 1, eventually closing shop in 1988 for a sabbatical year. After a season without Brabham on the grid, they returned in 1989, but the team was now owned by Swiss businessman Joachim Lüthi. However, Lüthi was convicted of fraud and had to relinquish the team. But Brabham sank further each season until 1992, during which the drivers managed to qualify only three times.
In 2009, during the call for applications launched by the FIA to join the world championship, the German company Formtech had expressed the desire to bring the Brabham name back to Formula 1, before the family of the three-time world champion contested their right to do so. It remains to be seen what Bernie Ecclestone would think of it…
