New team hopes to bring back Brabham name to F1

Posted at 12:00am on 04 June 2009

By Alan Baldwin

ISTANBUL, June 4 (Reuters) - 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.

The would-be newcomers said in a statement on Thursday 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," the statement said.

"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."

FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

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 (FIA) 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.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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