Wednesday 23 January 2013

The Minnows

Welcome to my spin off blog detailing the pasts of the current Formula 1 teams on the grid!

Last week I detailed three of the most important teams in Formula 1, the three who have never changed their names. This is maybe why we've all come to love them so much. It's hard to imagine a world with Williams and McLaren in it. To think about one without Ferrari is just impossible. Here is the Introduction to this special blog.

This week again instead of taking on just the one team, I've included a double feature for you to enjoy. So here are your two Minnow teams and their previous outfits.


TEAM LOTUS

First Entered: 2010
Pole Positions: 0
Race Wins: 0
Points : 0
Constructors Championships: 0
Drivers Championships: 0






One of three new teams in 2010, Lotus were re-established from the infamous Lotus brand of the 70s and 80s. Though a shadow of their former selves, it was great to hear the name again. They hired the ever impressive Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli to drive a partnership that lasted through both the 2010 and 2011 season, although they gave a drive at the British Grand Prix to Karun Chandhok. Owned by Tony Fernandes and ran by Mike Gascoyne, the team did little to impressive as the stats show. .



CATERHAM

Since: 2012
Pole Positions: 0
Race Wins: 0
Points: 0
Constructors Championships: 0
Drivers Championships: 0







Due to a whatever debate (I honestly lost interest in the whole fight) they were forced to give up the name Lotus and became Caterham. Management remained the same, only change was Trulli out, Vitaly Petrov in. For 2013 they are one of three teams (Marussia and Force India) still not to complete a their line up, only naming Charles Pic thus far.

The next team name will take most of you by shock as the team never actually raced under this name. The team you came to know as Virgin were named Manor GP. However due to a number of shares swapping about, the team changed to Virgin Racing before a race had been started.



VIRGIN RACING

First Entered: 2010
Pole Positions: 0
Race Wins: 0
Points: 0
Constructors Championships: 0
Drivers Championships: 0







Funded by the "richy" Richard Branson, the team began as one of the other new teams in 2010. The line-up consisted of Timo Glock, and Lucas di Grassi. For 2011 they became Marussia Virgin Racing replacing di Grassi for Jerome d'Ambrosio. Like the other newbies they failed to make even a little impact on the grid.


MARUSSIA

Since: 2012
Pole Positions: 0
Race Wins: 0
Points: 0
Constructors Championships: 0
Drivers Championships: 0







With a name change and the introduction of GP2 graduate Charles Pic, Marussia nearly pipped Caterham to the prize giving 10th place in the constructors championship. It was not meant to be, although with the use of McLaren's wind tunnel and KERS for the first time they did look to be on track for 2013. Although with Pic joining Caterham and Glock's future looking to be over, it's hard to see where they can go now.


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