Stefan Grand Prix was a proposed Serbian
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
team named after its creator, Zoran Stefanović. The team was attempting to compete in the
2010 Formula One World Championship
The 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 64th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a 1–2 finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Driv ...
. Its initial application was one of those rejected in July 2009 and although the team persisted in its attempts to gain an entry, it did not appear on the final entry list published in March 2010. The team also applied unsuccessfully to compete in the
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
and
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
seasons.
Origins
Stefan Grand Prix was founded by Serbian-born engineer and businessman Zoran Stefanović, with hopes of becoming Serbia's first Formula One team. Stefanović and Stefan Grand Prix had attempted to enter Formula One on two previous occasions;
once in 1996 and again one year later with an attempt to purchase the remains of
Lola's abortive 1997 entry.
Disputed entry
In 2009, Formula One's governing body, the
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backst ...
, opened applications for new teams to join the
2010 grid. Applications from fifteen new teams were received, with three (
Campos Meta
HRT Formula 1 Team, formerly known as Campos Meta 1 and Hispania Racing, was a Spanish Formula One team founded by former driver Adrián Campos. It was sold to José Ramón Carabante before its debut in 2010, and then to investment group Th ...
(later to be renamed Hispania Racing),
Manor Grand Prix
Manor Grand Prix Racing Limited, trading as Manor Racing MRT or Pertamina Manor Racing MRT, was a British Formula One racing team and constructor based in Banbury, Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. The team originally started racing in 2010 ...
(later to be renamed
Virgin Racing
Virgin Racing (subsequently Marussia Virgin Racing) was a Formula One racing team which was under management of Manor Motorsport, Wirth Research and Richard Branson's Virgin Group and competed in with a British licence and in with a Russian ...
) and
Team USF1
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...
) being selected in July 2009 to join the existing ten teams for 2010. Stefan GP was one of the unsuccessful applicants.
The Formula One community was first made aware of Stefanović's ambitions after he filed a complaint with the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
, of a similar nature to one submitted by N.Technology.
Stefanović claimed that the entry selection process had been biased in favour of teams who had nominated to run the
Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industrie ...
engines that were being introduced for 2010. He claimed that the FIA had not simply shown bias against non-Cosworth teams, but also against teams which would be classified as manufacturers, citing that new teams
Virgin Racing
Virgin Racing (subsequently Marussia Virgin Racing) was a Formula One racing team which was under management of Manor Motorsport, Wirth Research and Richard Branson's Virgin Group and competed in with a British licence and in with a Russian ...
,
Campos and
USF1
Upstream stimulatory factor 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''USF1'' gene.
Function
This gene encodes a member of the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper family and can function as a cellular transcription factor. The encode ...
had planned to outsource the design of their chassis to other firms and design studios, whereas Stefan Grand Prix had the support of Serbian company AMCO, and thus could build its own cars independently. This bias, he claimed, was supported by
Prodrive's failure to make the grid; like Stefan, Prodrive would have the facilities to build its own chassis.
Stefanović also had the support of
Mike Coughlan
Michael Coughlan (born 17 February 1959) is a British motor racing engineer and designer. He was Chief Designer for the McLaren Formula One team from to , where he was suspended for his part in the spygate scandal between McLaren and Ferrari, ...
, the
disgraced
''Disgraced'' is a 2012 play by novelist and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar. It premiered in Chicago and has had Off-Broadway and Off West End engagements. The play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theate ...
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...
engineer. The team has released photographs showing Coughlan in its offices.
[
In November 2009, ]Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
officially backed out of the championship, following a manufacturer exodus led by Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
and BMW. Despite initial plans not to sell the team on, Stefanović acquired the rights to use the team's chassis, gearbox and the 2010 spec engine. It also employed several former Toyota team members, then out of work after being made redundant by Toyota. With the vacancy left by Toyota, the FIA moved to fill the thirteenth and final grid position, which was contested between Stefanović and Peter Sauber
Peter Sauber (born 13 October 1943) is a retired Swiss motorsport executive. He was the team principal and owner of various motorsports teams, most visibly the eponymous Sauber Motorsport, Sauber Formula One team.
Motorsport career
After being tr ...
, after BMW sold the team back to him. Sauber
Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 (as PP Sauber AG) by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in . After operating it u ...
was eventually accepted to the grid. Stefanović was later reported as pursuing a 2010 grid position despite the thirteenth grid position having been awarded to Sauber.
Entry bids
2010
On 29 September 2009, Stefanović announced his plans to compete in the first round of the 2010 season, in Bahrain, despite not having an entry for the 2010 season, and the Concorde Agreement
The Concorde Agreement is a contract between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the Formula One teams and the Formula One Group which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races, and how the television revenues and ...
only allowing for the presence of thirteen teams on the grid. Further opportunities to enter the sport in 2010 arose when manufacturer teams BMW Sauber
BMW has been involved in Formula One in a number of capacities since the inauguration of the World Drivers' Championship in . The company entered occasional races in the 1950s and 1960s (often under Formula Two regulations), before building th ...
and Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
withdrew their entries.
On 3 March 2010, the FIA announced that USF1 "ould Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames.
Notable p ...
not be in a position to participate in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship" and that it would be impossible to add a new team to the grid less than two weeks before the opening race of the season. Zoran Stefanović was reported as attempting to merge USF1 with Stefan Grand Prix, though the plan failed after meeting with resistance from USF1 founders Peter Windsor
Peter David Windsor (born 11 April 1952) is a Formula One journalist, and former Formula One team and sponsorship manager.
Windsor started his journalism career at the now defunct monthly magazine ''Competition Car''. He was the motorsport edi ...
and Ken Anderson.
The team planned to include a young driver program that would allow rookie drivers testing time on behalf of the teams they sign for; as Stefan would be immune to the ban on in-season testing as it had not been accepted to the 2010 grid. On 29 January the team confirmed that it would be receiving technical support from Toyota, and that it was still pushing in its efforts to join the grid for 2010 just six weeks before the first race of the season.
Despite not having an entry, the team had sent its equipment to the Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit ( ar, حلبة البحرين الدولية, Ḥalba al-Baḥrayn ad-Dawliyya) is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrai ...
in preparation for the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix (formally the 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 14 March 2010 at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the seventh Bahrain Grand Prix and the opening ...
. The team also planned to test its car over three days at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
The Algarve International Circuit ( pt, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve), commonly referred to as Portimão Circuit, is a race circuit located in Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal. The development includes a karting track, off-road tra ...
on February 25–28 with two drivers, but this was cancelled as the team could not secure a tyre supply. Formula One's sole tyre supplier, Bridgestone
is a Japanese multinational tire manufacturer founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of , meaning 'stone bridge' in Japan ...
, would not supply F1-specification tyres to Stefan until the team acquired an entry.
Formula One's commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 October 1930) is an English business magnate. He is the former chief executive of the Formula One Group, which manages Formula One motor racing and controls the commercial rights to the sport, and part-owns ...
, mentioned that he had spoken to Mirko Cvetković
Mirko Cvetković ( sr-Cyr, Мирко Цветковић, ; born 16 August 1950) is a Serbian economist and former politician who served as the prime minister of Serbia from 2008 to 2012 and as finance minister from 2007 to 2008, and again from ...
the then-Prime Minister of Serbia
The prime minister of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, премијерка Србије, premijerka Srbije; masculine: премијер/premijer), officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, председница Влад ...
and that he was confident that Stefan had the funding required for F1.
Three weeks later, the team announced that the partnership with Toyota Motorsport
Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe GmbH (TGR-E), formerly Andersson Motorsport GmbH and Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG), is a fully-owned and controlled entity of Toyota Motor Corporation, based in Cologne, Germany, which provides motorsport and automoti ...
had ended because it was not feasible to continue for an entry for 2010. However, it did not rule out the possibility of the partnership being re-established for 2011. In April, Stefanović announced that in addition to applying to enter the season, he was also planning to build the "Stefan Technology Park", which included a Formula One-standard circuit, in Stara Pazova
Stara Pazova (, ; hu, Ópazova) is a town and municipality located in the Srem District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 64792, while Stara Pazova municipality has 65,792 inhabitants. The entrance into ...
.
2011
Following the withdrawal of USF1 from the 2010 season, the FIA announced that it would re-open the selection process for 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. Stefan Grand Prix was one of fifteen organisations to submit an entry to the FIA. However, in the week before the 2010 Italian Grand Prix
The 2010 Italian Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander d'Italia 2010) was the fourteenth round of the 2010 Formula One season. It was held in Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy on 12 September 2010. Ferrari's Fernando Al ...
, the FIA announced that none of the prospective entrants met the minimum funding or engineering requirements, leaving the thirteenth grid slot vacant. The bid process was not re-opened for the 2012 season.
2015
In March 2014 it was revealed that Stefanović had again lodged an application to join the Formula One grid after the FIA had announced earlier that the entry process would be reopened with the intent of new team joining the grid starting with the 2015 Formula One season
The 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars. It was the 66th Formula One World Championship recognised by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( ...
. Stefanović withdrew the application in February 2014.
2019
In July 2017 Stefanović revealed a new plan to enter the series from the 2019 season, stating that he had a facility in Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
and personnel ready to set up a team. The statement of intent came two weeks after rumours surrounding the entry of a Chinese team for the 2019 season became public.
Car and drivers
The team's Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
-designed and built car was to have been designated the Stefan S-01 and its engine the Stefan RG-01, both of which would have been serviced by Toyota. On 2 February 2010, the team announced its intention to launch and test the car later that month, with Kazuki Nakajima as a driver. The S-01, liveried in national Serbian red, was fired up for the first time on 19 February.[ The team had intended to launch and test its car on 25 February regardless of whether or not its application to the grid was successful,] and had been pushing for entry as a fourteenth team. However, the team was unable to acquire tyres from official supplier Bridgestone
is a Japanese multinational tire manufacturer founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of , meaning 'stone bridge' in Japan ...
, and so was forced to cancel its Portimão
Portimão () is a city and a municipality in the district of Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,614, in an area of 182.06 km2. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão (). In 1924, it was ...
test and launch. The team later announced that it was planning to launch the car sometime in early March and to test it with Avon tyres
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is an American company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sales of replacement automobile and truck tires, and has subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle, and racing tires. W ...
rather than Bridgestones.
The team signed Kazuki Nakajima
is a retired Japanese professional racing driver who drove in Formula One for the Williams-Toyota team from to . In 2012 and 2014, he won the Super Formula Championship driving for TOM'S. Racing for Toyota Gazoo Racing, he won the 2018, 2019 an ...
, whose career has been supported by Toyota, as its first driver. Stefanović also hoped to sign champion Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
and Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta (; born 9 March 1985) is a Venezuelan professional racing driver, who competed in Formula One for the Williams (2011–2013) and Lotus (2014–2015) teams and as a Pirelli test driver until 2017. Before entering F ...
as its reserve driver. The collapse of the team ended these plans.
References
External links
*https://instagram.com/stefangrandprixf1
{{Formula One constructors
Serbian auto racing teams
Formula One constructors
Formula One entrants