Peugeot planning F1 Comeback

[f1manoz]

Report from my.yahoo.com:

Peugeot are reportedly considering a bid to become Formula One's 12th team.
Peugeot, who used to supply engines to the now-defunct Prost team, are said to be looking to expand their involvement in motorsport again.

The French manufacturers pulled out of F1 at the end of the 2000 season when they ended their deal with Alain Prost's outfit.

But Peugeot are believed to have shown an interest in Minardi engine supplier Asiatech's initiative to run a team of their own.

Ironically, Peugeot, who have also supplied Jordan with power units in the past, sold their engine factory to Asiatech when they severed links with Prost.

But Peugeot, who already run a team in the World Rally Championship, would be able to help raise the estimated £100million which engine suppliers would need.

German F1 magazine "Motorsport aktuell" reports that chairman of the French marque, Corrado Provera, is trying to convince the board of a comeback, arguing the reason for a lack of success was that they were co-operating with the wrong partners.

Provera is believed to have argued that if Peugeot focus on running a team of their own, they could be as successful as in rallying when they won the championship two years in a row, in 2000 and 2001.

The reports are strengthened by the fact that French rivals Renault now have a works team in motorsport's elite series - the former Benetton set-up - and Peugeot do not wish to be seen as lagging behind.

[Adam43]

Surely not. If they do I hope they will try a bit harder this time!

Hopefully this is not going to jeopardise the Rally team. Having said that can I be the first to start the stupid rumour of "Richard Burns in F1"...

[StuiE]

is that the same company that said that they are not going to make a BTCC car cos they r concentrating on RAlly?

[Bononi]

They'll have play hard to get into it. The memories left in the F1 are not very good. Jordan, Macs and the Prost...

[mariov]

They where associated to the wrong partners.

Yep being dunmped by Mc-Laren and Jordan, to end up with Prost...I think they can blame themselves for that one.

I cant see them comming back in one guise or another, they where a total faillure the last time they tried. And the competion is way to hight for them now.

You have better chances of Lotus filling up the last spot then Peugeot.

Wont happen on my lifetime....Peugot is out of F1, and they wont be comming back.

[Mania]

Well they werent really dumped by Jordan - Eddie did everything he could - including blocking Prost's inclusion in the championship - so he could hold on to the Peugeot engines.

As it turned out though - dumping the Mugen Honda's turned out to be Prost's biggest mistake - and losing the Peugeots turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Jordan.

I dont really care about Peugeot. They have an awful lot to prove before anyone gets excited about any of their F1 projects.

[EERO]

When I saw this one I was dumbfounded.

I cannot believe that they would EVER consider coming back so soon after the real hash they made of it.

[Valve Bounce]

Are you suggesting that Peugeot are coming back with a BANG?

[Tristan]

This is really interesting. We've got a "team" sitting there WAITING to be bought out, plus the potential buy out of Asiatech. It DOES add up. They'd be brave to do so, but if Toyota can start from SCRATCH and do this well, then you would could be wise that a Peugeot team could do quite well. Give three years, mind.

[Valve Bounce]

Tristan, how long have you been following F1? Don't you remember the McLarens blowing up with monotonous regularity and spectacularly? With all the money Peugeot poured into F1 in the nineties, I wonder how many wins they managed ? Quite honestly, I really can't remember

[OVERSTEER]

The most spectacular Peugeot engine failure was Martin Brundles in the Mclaren at the start of the 1994 British GP.

[OVERSTEER]

The most spectacular Peugeot engine failure was Martin Brundles in the Mclaren at the start of the 1994 British GP.

[Tristan]

So large, you could say it twice.

Peugeot HAVE been a mess in F1. But look at their rally programme, and even their road cars. There is no reason why they can't make a good F1 engine. Why it hasn't happened in the past is down to one thing: commitment. They've never been fully committed to throwing in big money behind a big project with big names in the technical field. Now, if they're making their own chassis too, the commitment will be there. They're a big car manufacturer with a long motorsporting heritage that has taken a battering on the F1 side. They've got every reason to start again. I for one hope they can do it.

[Valve Bounce]

To be honest with you, apart from Rallying, I don't think that Peugeot had that great a sporting heritage.
I speak as a very disgruntled former owner. I have owned 3 Peugeots, the last being a 505 which proceeded to rust away rapidly after only 4 years from new. As a result I switched to Volvo. I only say this because I want to show that I was once a dyed in the wool Peugeot man.
Peugeot had one of the top teams in F1 to provide an engine for, and it was a total disaster. To even contemplate that they could make their own chassis makes me shudder. I'd rather see Skoda come into F1 - at least we would have pages of Skoda jokes to amuse ourselves with. If ew are going to have a twelvth team in F1, then let us at least wish for a professional team that would be competitive, like VW, who could race under the name of Auto Union or even Porsche

[rollhoop]

They are going to have to put forth much more effort than their last stint in F1. They sure didn't seem to be 100% behind their last effort. Any less than that won't win in todays tough F1 world. They should also remember that winning takes TIME!! I think they get down on themselves when their engine doesn't win right off. I would like to see them come back though. The more competition the better the sport becomes.