Second-hand F1 cars

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

When I was a lad (and before!), it was common-place for smaller privateer F1 teams to buy the previous year's F1 cars from larger manufacturers and run them for another season or more under their own team bannner. Some of them were remarkably successful too.

 

So in today's cripplingly expensive F1 world, why doesn't F1 re-introduce this policy now that the regulations are relatively stable? The smaller teams could make massive savings on their Design wage-bill and still end up with a quicker and more reliable car than the one they would have designed themselves. The bigger teams would earn a few extra quid too. Even the racing spectacle would be better than having backmarkers lapping 4 or 5 seconds per lap slower than the leaders.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Just buy the lot: lock, stock & exhaust pipe and paint it your own colours.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I don't mean to me: I mean to the cash-strapped likes of Caterham, Marussia and, ahem, Lotus. They've all had engine deals in place, so why not an engine + chassis deal for last season's cars instead?

[USAndretti42]

The ways the rules change, teams can't even use their own chassis 2years running. The Lotus 72 raced for 5 or 6 years in various stages of development.

[softlips]

The rules now state the team racing the car has to own the intellectual rights to the design. This is why Torrorosso had to start designing their cars from scratch themselves and not use a modified year old design from Red Bull.

[Vulcan Grey]

Anyone going to the Marussia auction?

 

http://cal.cagp.com/event/marussia/

 

 

 

Need a cockpit for a video game racing simulator?

Or a 3D Printer?

[Bibs]

Haven't Caterham just been given a dispensation to run this years' car in the 2015 season?

[pete]

Haven't Caterham just been given a dispensation to run this years' car in the 2015 season?

if they find a buyer

[pete]

how about one of these   http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/kit-cars/other-models/das-sports-cars/3060007

[RODOLPHESPRIT]

Strange noise !!!!

[Simon350S]

Would that even get through an MOT with no wheel covers?

Nice toy someone's made, sure its a lot of fun