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[Frosty]

This whole thing is something I don't understand. Is Stefan GP a whole other team or are they trying to buy Campos? Because I thought that Campos was going to become Stefan. I'm just so confused and I sound like a total n00b...which I kind of am. But can someone please explain all of this to me

Stefan GP is a whole different team who have frequently been rumoured to be interested in buying the Campos chassis, even though they have no need for it because they already have the damn Toyotas. Think of them as the old Toyota team, but owned by the Serbians and with some operations there.

So why were they not accepted but other teams were?

Toyota was still playing at the time; the new teams got approved even before BMW announced they were quitting. They got serious when they bought the Toyota chassis, and look a plausible option now that Campos and USF1 are going downhill.

Of course they are also in talks with Dallara about future development. Looking like we'll have 2 govt funded teams in F1 next season then.

Murder the Government!

LOL! Guess you have been back for a few days but I hadn't noticed anyway welcome back, good to see such a huge contributor to these forums making posts again.

[Gilles 27]

So why were they not accepted but other teams were?

My take on that is that the FIA seem to have been quite determined to get all the new teams to use Cosworth engines. It seems that if a team didn't want to use Cosworth, they were declined

[NateDawg80126]

So why were they not accepted but other teams were?

My take on that is that the FIA seem to have been quite determined to get all the new teams to use Cosworth engines. It seems that if a team didn't want to use Cosworth, they were declined

It's not just your take, Ecclestone came out and said it, he was not hiding anything.

[vaptin]

So why were they not accepted but other teams were?

My take on that is that the FIA seem to have been quite determined to get all the new teams to use Cosworth engines. It seems that if a team didn't want to use Cosworth, they were declined

It's not just your take, Ecclestone came out and said it, he was not hiding anything.

[Denthúl]

So why were they not accepted but other teams were?

My take on that is that the FIA seem to have been quite determined to get all the new teams to use Cosworth engines. It seems that if a team didn't want to use Cosworth, they were declined

It was the only way that the FIA could get Cosworth to commit. They needed three teams to purchase engine supplies before they would sign the contract and seeing as every other team on the grid was contracted for at least another year on their engine supply at the time, the only way to do that was force the new teams to take up the supply, forcing better-prepared outfits like ProDrive and Lola because they wanted to use equipment that they actually had some knowledge of before building the car (fuel-consumption, performance, reliability etc.). A bad move, really, because both ProDrive and Lola would more than likely already have been testing their cars at this stage.

One can only hope that Stefan get an entry for 2010 even this late.

[Cubejam]

I think Toyota are supplying them engines. They fired the car up today. They have no tyres mind.. so they cant test yet.. but the car is ready for track testing when they get tyres. From Autosport:

Stefan GP fires up Formula 1 car

By Dieter Rencken and Pablo Elizalde Friday, February 19th 2010, 11:41 GMT

Stefan GP's Formula 1 car has been fired up as the Serbian squad pushes on with its plans to race this year despite not having an entry.

The SF01 car, which was designed by Toyota before the Japanese manufacturer decided to leave F1, is scheduled to make its track debut at the end of the month at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT, team boss Zoran Stefanovich said everything is going according to plan, and that the car is ready to begin testing after being fired up at the Cologne factory formerly owned by Toyota.

Stefanovich said, however, that the team is still working on a tyre supply deal for its first test.

"This morning, 19 February 2010, was another stepping stone for Stefan Grand Prix," said Stefanovich in a telephone interview. "This morning at 8:00, the first car - Stefan 01 - was fired up for the first time.

"The car ran faultlessly, there was no problem whatsoever, and we could race or test on a racetrack, but we're just waiting for tyres."

The Serbian said his team is already comprised of nearly 60 people plus the staff from Toyota, with which the team has a technical collaboration deal.

He said he is expecting news from the FIA soon, as doubts continue to surround both the Campos Meta and the US F1 teams.

"We are expecting it to be clarified relatively shortly because all of us know what the situation is. In the meantime we are working very heavily on sorting out the drivers' contracts," added Stefanovich, who said talks with former world champion Jacques Villeneuve are progressing well.

The Serbian confirmed, as revealed by AUTOSPORT earlier this month, that former Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima is already part of the team.

"At the moment we have to say that we are very near," he said of drivers.

"We are very near to a contract with Jacques Villeneuve, and probably also with another driver as our reserve driver. But the first one which will be with us is Kazuki Nakajima."

[Gaz]

They FIA need to just get rid of USF1 now i'd rather have sausage Dastardly F1 (Serbian GP) than No team and at least he's bloody determined to get a grid position.

[Denthúl]

It is the Toyota engine rebadged as a Stefan, much like the old Petronas/Mechachrome/Playlife/Asiatech/Acer engines of the days gone.

[Frosty]

It is the Toyota engine rebadged as a Stefan, much like the old Petronas/Mechachrome/Playlife/Asiatech/Acer engines of the days gone.

Not using Cosworth?

[Gilles 27]

It is the Toyota engine rebadged as a Stefan, much like the old Petronas/Mechachrome/Playlife/Asiatech/Acer engines of the days gone.

Not using Cosworth?

nope, hence them not getting an entry in the first place

[ivey]

Nakajima and Villeneuve - worst lineup in the grid?

[Gilles 27]

Nakajima and Villeneuve - worst lineup in the grid?

Easily.

[Jensonb]

It is the Toyota engine rebadged as a Stefan, much like the old Petronas/Mechachrome/Playlife/Asiatech/Acer engines of the days gone.

Sort of. Technically it's the Toyota re-badeged as a Stefan unit, but officially it actually is a Stefan unit because apparently Toyota have sold all the parts and rights to them. But yes, it will run as a Stefan engine, making the team, officially, a works outfit.

[scotty]

I do wonder if Stefan/Toyota used a loophole in the rules to upgrade their engine, if such a loophole exists (something to do with Stefan not being an official team yet)....

[Jensonb]

I do wonder if Stefan/Toyota used a loophole in the rules to upgrade their engine, if such a loophole exists (something to do with Stefan not being an official team yet)....

Probably wouldn't matter anyway, that engine's fairly poor.

Also, Stefan would be best advised to check the accelerator pedals on those cars for defects.