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[CigarGuy]

Don't know what that means? Little help?
And "some" teams are required to field a third car if certain numbers
aren't met? But they are saying "Ferrari and Red Bull". Not Mercedes or
Williams, then?

[Jabberwocky]

Customer teams is something that used to happen a lot. Williams started out by buying an old car off another team and running that.

More recently when Toro Rosso 1st started out they used to get the Red Bull hand me downs. (1 year old chassis design)

However it is now against the rules to do such a thing. Ironically one of the biggest people against it returning was Frank Williams.

I believe what they are on about with the 3rd car / customer car is basically a top team builds all the parts for a 3rd car and give them to Caterham/Marussia/etc to run as there own car.

[What's Burning?]

Nothing is official until it's official. It's just all talk at the moment but it's clear where some teams want to go, it's also clear at what expense. It would mean reduced competition, but it's funny the same teams arguing against Mercedes' engine freeze limiting the competitiveness of the sport, are the ones pushing for three car teams.

[Jabberwocky]

I heard somewhere that a 3rd car would cost 35 million a year to produce and run

[CigarGuy]

Customer teams is something that used to happen a lot. Williams started out by buying an old car off another team and running that.

More recently when Toro Rosso 1st started out they used to get the Red Bull hand me downs. (1 year old chassis design)

However it is now against the rules to do such a thing. Ironically one of the biggest people against it returning was Frank Williams.

I believe what they are on about with the 3rd car / customer car is basically a top team builds all the parts for a 3rd car and give them to Caterham/Marussia/etc to run as there own car.

Not to change the subject, but since I started the thread......
Saw an interview with the Williams principal who was a female Williams. Frank's wife or daughter?

[What's Burning?]

Daughter. He's Frank Williams, not Bernie Ecclestone.

[CigarGuy]

I heard somewhere that a 3rd car would cost 35 million a year to produce and run

I would think there is some "economies of scale" applicable here, so the first two cars are, what, 50 million each?

[CigarGuy]

Daughter. He's Frank Williams, not Bernie Ecclestone.

LOL. Got it!

[Jabberwocky]

I would imagine it is just the build and running cost. If you think a team will of already paid development costs for the 2 cars they already run.

[Jabberwocky]

Sadly Sir Franks wife died earlier this year

[CigarGuy]

So, "we" like customer cars?

[Jabberwocky]

I think I would prefer customer cars to 3rd cars

[What's Burning?]

It's close to customer cars already. As of next year the only thing a team has to do is design their own chassis. They're already allowed to buy the PU, the transmission, the suspension components are allowed as well in 2015, and the brakes are already a third party.

So a team has to make one part, and it's not even the most expensive part. The real purpose for the customer teams, or the third cars or whatever sillyness is thrown out as a suggestion by Bernie et al, is to 1) make sure Bernie and CVC get paid because of the contract stipulation with the circuit promoters that there have to be at least 16 cars on the grid. 2) to move the agenda closer to what Red Bull and Ferrari are looking for. I'd tend to believe VJ and Moisha's statements on what's been going on.

[Jabberwocky]

Well they have to make the whole aero package

Plus package the engines ancillaries which seems to cause issues

[CigarGuy]

Can Mercedes, or whomever, supply an unlimited number of power units to all teams. Or is there a "cap"
on how many cars on any grid you can power?