Brabham GP apply to join F1

Eurosport - Fri, 05 Jun 10:46:00 2009

A German businessman who bought the assets of the failed Super Aguri Formula One team has applied to enter next year's championship under the name of Brabham Grand Prix - but the Brabham family are seeking to block the move.

2009 Spanish GP FIA Logo - 0

The would-be newcomers said that they had applied to enter under a budget cap with Franz Hilmer, who owns the Formtech machining company, serving as team principal.

Mark Preston, former technical director at Super Aguri, would continue in that role with the team using the same Leafield facility in central England as the Honda-backed Japanese outfit which collapsed before last year's Turkish Grand Prix for financial reasons.

"The Brabham Grand Prix team has the pleasure to announce its application as a 'Cost Cap Formula One Team' for the FIA 2010 Formula One World Championship," a team statement read.

"We appreciate the FIA rules for cost capped F1 teams and are convinced that the budget limitation is a contemporary obligation, and will effect a revitalisation of the Formula One World Championship."

There may be a bumpy track ahead for Hilmer, however, as the family of triple Formula One world champion Jack Brabham revealed that they were taking legal advice after hearing that the new team would go under the name of Brabham Grand Prix.

"The family would like to make it clear that they are in no way involved with Brabham Grand Prix Limited and received no consultation regarding the company's plans to resurrect their historic name in Formula One," they said in a statement.

"The family is taking legal advice and will take necessary steps to protect their name, reputation and its goodwill," the statement continued.

Brabham Grand Prix said major investors and sponsors had already given financial commitments for the 2010-12 seasons and were prepared to free the money subject to the governing body's decision.

The International Automobile Federation is due to announce the 2010 entry list on June 12.

Nine of the 10 current teams have entered provisionally, subject to the 2010 rules remaining the same as this year and without a budget cap.

Williams have entered unconditionally while another 10 would-be entrants, including familiar names such as Lola and March, have submitted applications. The FIA has said there is room for 13 teams in total.

The original Brabham team was founded by Australian triple world champion Jack Brabham in 1962 and won 35 races before folding in 1992.

They were sold to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone in 1972 and he ran it until 1988 when it was sold to the Japanese Middlebridge group.

Britain's Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion with Williams, made his debut with the team in their final 1992 season.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 7 of 47

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  1. Good luck to them. i dont see how a name chnage will­ help super agrui. i saw the title and thought great­ news, reading it was a bit disapointing it means­ nothing.

    From Gareth Hall, on Thu 4 Jun 1:39PM

  2. I don't have a problem with who enters F1. I just­ don't the fia are going about the budget cap the­ right way. Sure a cap is needed, but the fia's all­ or nothing approach leaves little scope for compromise­ and will mean too many job losses.

    From makosifan, on Thu 4 Jun 1:28PM

  3. trouble: To my understanding at the time back as far as­ 1993 Sir Jack Brabham had the rights to the name­ Brabham, now this was broadcasted on channel nine­ Australia, and this is actual fact and not nonsense as­ you have claimed. So if you have trouble understanding­ this send an email to channel nine Australia onto the­ wide world of sports section and ask them. Secondly­ someone else has claimed that Franz Hilmer has bought­ the rights to the name Brabham, now I don't have­ any memory of the Brabham name being sold, and I am not­ aware of seeing the news or the F1 telecast that the­ Brabham name may have been sold.

    Now trouble you may­ not be aware of this and not realise that just because­ someone announces that they are going to use a certain­ name doesn't mean that they own the rights to that­ name. Because people and companies try and steal names­ that don't belong to them all of the time, this­ happens not with just names, but songs, movies, logos­ and thats when the battles are fought out inside the­ court room. Reading your level of intelligence here has­ shown me that you have probably been inside a crimal­ court room for soomething that I don't want to­ guess.

    D.Bristow

    From , on Thu 4 Jun 1:28PM

  4. D Bristow, do you not think that a businessman who is­ able to buy and run a Formula 1 team would have made­ sure and understood his right to use the name Brabham­ BEFORE announcing it? For goodness sake, it's that­ level of lack of basic intelligence that makes you­ realise what nonsense most of the postings are on this­ forum

    From trouble, on Thu 4 Jun 12:52PM

  5. Franz Hilmer has bought the rights to the Brabham­ name.......he did so some years ago but has not used­ it. what he is basicly doing is putting super aguri­ together with the brabham name to make a new­ team..........weather or not that means that the new­ team still counts the brabham data to its records i do­ not know........ie past wins etc

    From JamesW, on Thu 4 Jun 12:36PM

  6. Brabham souds much better than Renault. !!!
    I loved the­ fancar of Gordon Murray !!!
    Real innovation must come­ back!

    From Ape, on Thu 4 Jun 12:16PM

  7. Franz Hilmer of Formtech entering a F1 team under the­ name Brabham GP, does Sir Jack Brabham know about this,­ because to my knowledge and understanding that the name­ Brabham in grand prix racing and motor racing in­ general is owned by Sir Jack Brabham and he solely owns­ the legal rights to the name Brabham. Unless Franz­ Hilmer has brought the rights from Sir Jack Brabham to­ use his name Brabham Franz Hilmer can't in anyway­ use the name Brabham.

    D.Bristow

    From , on Thu 4 Jun 12:13PM
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