The future of Formula One looks bright – at least as far as participation goes.
In the past couple of weeks alone, we’ve brought you reports of two potential engine suppliers interested in joining, a former race-winning driver plotting a comeback, and a new team looking to enter the fray. Now it turns out there could be another.
According to Autosport, Zoran Stefanovic is working on starting up a new team, this time based in Italy. The Serbian engineer and businessman has on three separate occasions attempted to enter the Formula One World Championship, most recently in 2009 when Hispania, Manor, and Caterham were granted new slots on the grid – but Stefan GP (as the proposed team was billed) was not. This despite having taken over much of Toyota’s assets and staff members on its way out of the series.
Word has it that Stefanovic has already set up shop – not in the UK, but in Italy, where Ferrari and Toro Rosso are based. The new team’s facilities are established in Parma, which is not only near the Varano de’ Melegari circuit here Dallara is based, but just up the highway from Modena (home to Ferrari, Maserati, and Pagani), Bologna (Ducati and Lamborghini), Faenza (Scuderia Toro Rosso), and Imola (where you’ll find the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari that used to host the San Marino Grand Prix). Stefanovic has reportedly contracted to use a wind tunnel nearby, and to head up the technical department, hired Argentinian engineer Enrique Scalabroni (formerly of Dallara, Ferrari, Williams, Lotus, and Peugeot).
Stefanovic recently traveled to Austria to meet with F1’s sporting director Ross Brawn during the grand prix there, and has a 12-month plan to build up the team. But the biggest hurdle may still be to gain approval from the FIA to join the series. Jean Todt is opening up the process, but none of this means that Stefanovic will get the green light this fourth time around.
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