McLaren-Honda leads push as FIA looks at customer cars to increase F1 car counts

FIA waiting on teams to submit formal proposal

The F1 Strategy Group is backing the long-standing provision for third entries from top teams to be introduced to make up the numbers should a current Formula One team fail. Customer car teams have been earmarked as a potential next step in increasing car counts for the series.

There have been as few as 19 cars on the starting grid this season.

In theory, both options will only come into play if the entry list shrinks further as a result of a struggling team collapsing. The works teams have been charged with putting together a proposal and a format for how customer cars could work.

It's understood that the existing independent teams, namely Lotus, Sauber, Force India and Manor, will be given first refusal on switching to customer cars.

However, all have previously expressed their desire continue as constructors in their own right, maintaining the DNA of F1, and thus regard any move towards an alternative future as a threat. In addition it appears that those using customer cars would earn less from F1's prize fund.

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The customer-car idea was carried on a Thursday when there was apparently only limited discussion by the F1 Strategy Group of finding ways to help the smaller teams financially.

“There was no interest at all from the manufacturer teams in discussing anything to do with cost controls or more equitable income distribution,” Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told Autoweek. “It was completely abandoned in favor of the customer cars. In some ways, it makes things abundantly clear where F1 is going. We've suspected that customer cars were wanted for quite some time, but this is the first time that it's really moving through as the only alternative as far as the manufacturer teams are concerned.

“It's not finalized as to what the package is, but there's a clear process that's going to happen now. If any teams fail, the manufacturer teams will run a third car, and in the meantime they will get on with putting together a proposal and a format for customer cars. Their intention would be to give the independent teams first refusal on those to see if they want to switch from being a constructor to a customer car team.

“However there will be significant downsides to that, as you can imagine. But the devil will be in the detail. In the meantime, we've got to determine the direction that we want to go on in and look at how we protect our position.”

Fernley is not convinced that it makes sense for the big teams.

“The question will be whether it's even viable to have a customer car program," Fernley said. "That's the bit that they've got to prove. They are adamant that it is, but I'm not convinced on that, and that would be the best way of putting it, I think. The independent teams are not involved in any of the solutions.”

It's perhaps no surprise to learn that McLaren-Honda was one of main proponents of customer cars in Thursday's meeting. McLaren has long been a supporter of the concept, and with Honda in dire need of a second team with which to get track mileage, it makes sense more than ever. There is also no shortage of drivers, as McLaren has Kevin Magnussen, Stoffel Vandoorne (GP2) and Nyck de Vries (Renault 3.5) on its books, while Honda protege Nobuharu Matsushita is racing in GP2.

Indeed, the ART GP2 cars of Vandoorne and Matsushita both ran in full McLaren replica livery in Barcelona last weekend, emphasizing the ties between the F1 team and the outfit co-owned by Nicolas Todt, son of FIA president Jean.

It might thus be logical to suggest that ART would be able to step forward and run McLaren customer cars in the future, should be the opportunity arise. McLaren also has an ongoing relationship with Manor, although the team's difficult financial position is a potential hurdle.

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Bare-bodied Ford GT supercar prototype looks great on the street

This prototype isn’t as polished as a show car, but we think it’s way cooler

Yes, we realize the covers came off the 2017 Ford GT earlier this year, and there are plenty of gorgeous studio shots (and an increasing amount of technical information) for you to drool over ahead of the car’s release.

But there’s something special about seeing a new supercar on the streets for the first time. Maybe it’s the context -- even if it’s just a mule or a prototype, catching the car in the wild makes the whole program feel real.

Take these photos posted to fordgtforum.com. Pretty cool, right? Snapped in Allen Park, Mich., they show a mean-looking GT without any Ford badges (there’s an empty oval on the snout, though) and some gnarly looking tailpipes poking out the back. 

Note the empty oval on the snout. Photo by Fordgtforum.com

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As a forum member points out, this car isn’t camouflaged -- it's very likely bare composite body panels straight out of the Multimatic Motorsports molds. Note how the doors appear to be a slightly different color. Also, the headlights aren’t quite the same as the ones on the Detroit show car; whether this is a pre-production quirk or an indication of what we can expect on the real thing remains to be seen.

The deep-set vent-incorporating taillights seem to be in place, though, and the car appears to be wearing the same split-five-spoke wheels spotted on the show stand.

Thanks to fordgtforum.com for letting us repost these pictures -- be sure to check them out for tons of GT news, discussion and speculation.

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