F1 entries/rumours that never came to be

[BTCC frog]

Thanks to nononsensecapeesh for inspiring these other threads. Let's have one for Formula 1.

I think the most interesting silly season story is that of Jenson Button in 2004-6. Button was signed for BAR but tried to sign a contract with Williams. They went through a whole contract dispute in which Button tried to get out of his deal with BAR and instead drive for Williams, but eventually BAR won and retained the services of Jenson Button for 2005. Button then signed a contract with Williams for 2006. However, due to Williams struggling in 2005 as much as BAR, and losing BMW as an engine supplier while BAR were getting increased backing from Honda, Button then decided he wanted to stay with BAR and went back into contract disputes between the two teams, but with the roles reversed. Eventually, Button had to pay Williams to get out of his contract and remain with BAR.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

More recently, Michael Andretti's failed negotiations to take over Alfa Romeo/Sauber means Colton Herta won't be joining the F1 grid in 2022, if ever.

His father Bryan Herta also tried unsuccessfully for a Minardi seat for 2003.

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

More recently, Michael Andretti's failed negotiations to take over Alfa Romeo/Sauber means Colton Herta won't be joining the F1 grid in 2022, if ever.

His father Bryan Herta also tried unsuccessfully for a Minardi seat for 2003.

Carl Haas approached Michael Andretti with regards to a possible 1986 race seat.

[AnonymityRules]

During the 1990s, Williams showed interest in Al Unser Jr., Benetton in Paul Tracy and Ligier in Robby Gordon.

Fleeting or otherwise, teams showing an interest still amounts to an F1 rumour that never came to be, that's the way I see it.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Didn't Rick Mears test for Brabham once? Or come close to it?

Bobby Rahal did contest the last two rounds of 1978 in a second Wolf but was meant to drive for Wolf full-time in 1979 alongside James Hunt.

[AnonymityRules]

The late Justin Wilson was the original intended choice to stand in for Alex Yoong at Minardi in 2002 but he was too tall to fit in the cockpit of the PS02 properly.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Frank Lagorce was originally meant to partner Andrea Montermini at Forti in 1996 until they signed Luca Badoer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/co...y_of_shambles/

[Nononsensecapeesh]

March entering the 1993 Season, drivers would have Jean-Marc Gounon and Jan Lammers.

Larrousse entering the 1995 Season, drivers would have been Eric Bernard and Christophe Bouchut, Eric Helary would have been test driver.

[AnonymityRules]

Taki Inoue was to partner Pedro Lamy at Minardi for 1996 but his sponsorship failed to materialize hence the last-minute promotion of Giancarlo Fisichella from being the team's intended test driver.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

The DAMS F1 car which Lammers and Erik Comas tested.

The Lola T95/30 which Allan McNish tested.

The Dome F1 car which Marco Apicella, Naoki Hattori and Shinji Nakano tested.

Apicella also tested the FIRST F189 which eventually became the infamous Life F190, although had the car entered the 1989 season, Gabriele Tarquini would have driven it.

[AnonymityRules]

Alex Caffi and Enrico Bertaggia were the original intended drivers for the infamous Andrea Moda team in 1992.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Hideki Noda was meant to share a seat at Simtek with Domenico Schiattarella alongside Jos Verstappen in 1995. Moda was destined never to race for Simtek as they went bust after 5 races.

[AnonymityRules]

In 1995, Pacific wanted to run Katsumi Yamamoto in the Japanese races and Oliver Gavin in Australia after they released Jean-Denis Deletraz who's sponsors didn't pay up, neither driver was issued a superlicence so Bertrand Gachot returned for the last three races.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

The Dallara-built Honda F1 prototype in 1999, Jos Verstappen and Nicolas Minassian were among the drivers to test the car, the project floundered after Harvey Postlethwaite passed away from a heart attack.

Honda built a least two other F1 prototypes in the early 90s and at least one of them was tested by Satoru Nakajima.

[kurski]

Harri Toivonen was driver contracted to Pacific in 1995, but didn't race because of sponsorship (Spanish construction company) troubles. The agreement was signed Hockenheim 1994. Ian Dawson wanted her on the team.

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

The Dallara-built Honda F1 prototype in 1999, Jos Verstappen and Nicolas Minassian were among the drivers to test the car, the project floundered after Harvey Postlethwaite passed away from a heart attack.

Mika Salo said in an interview that he had made a deal with Honda before Postlewaite died 1999.

Kansallis-Osake-Pankki F1 team (now Nordea) was Keke Rosberg's project, he himself would have been the principal, he wanted buy Tyrrell 1988 and probable drivers mentioned were Stefan Johansson and JJ Lehto. However the project didn't really take off since the funding didn't go through in KOP board

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by kurski

Harri Toivonen was driver contracted to Pacific in 1995, but didn't race because of sponsorship (Spanish construction company) troubles. The agreement was signed Hockenheim 1994. Ian Dawson wanted her on the team.

Mika Salo said in an interview that he had made a deal with Honda before Postlewaite died 1999.

Kansallis-Osake-Pankki F1 team (now Nordea) was Keke Rosberg's project, he himself would have been the principal, he wanted buy Tyrrell 1988 and probable drivers mentioned were Stefan Johansson and JJ Lehto. However the project didn't really take off since the funding didn't go through in KOP board

Harri Toivonen is a male.

When Jordan secured Toyota engines for 2005, it looked as though Ryan Briscoe would join the team as part of the deal but the team were more likely to sign Timo Glock and Robert Doornbos, then Midland bought the team out.

Scuderia Toro Rosso held off retaining Scott Speed for 2007 so long that at one point, it looked like the American would be replaced by Tiago Monteiro, Autosport even named Monteiro as a (potential) STR driver when covering the launch of the STR2. Speed ultimately retained his place until mid-season when Vettel replaced him.

[kurski]

Jari Nurminen had a chance drives the second car of the 1988 Coloni team, but AKK (Finnish National Automobile Sport Federation) had demanded that Nurminen not get a super license and it came true. He also had a seat for Arrows in 1987, but Keke Rosberg blocked the move, Keke seriously feared that Jari would manage to go up to F1, and destroy JJ and Mika's chances.

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Harri Toivonen is a male.

Harri would have been 35 when he made his F1 debut, if I calculated correctly.

[AnonymityRules]

Brabham wanted to hire Akihiko Nakaya alongside Eric van de Poele for 1992 but Nakaya wasn't granted a superlicence hence the infamous appointment of Giovanna Amati.

Fondmetal were poised to hire Giuseppe Bugatti just before they went bust.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Spirit intended to run Emerson Fittipaldi and Fulvio Ballabio for 1984. Fittipaldi instead went to Indycar and Ballabio didn't get a superlicence.

[AnonymityRules]

RAM and Sprit intended to return in 1986. The former would have entered an updated 1985 03 chassis with Mike Thackwell driving.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Toyota showed interest in Helio Castroneves as well as Cristiano da Matta before signing the latter for 2003.

[AnonymityRules]

Gil de Ferran was among the candidates for seats at Simtek in 1994 and Forti in 1995.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Ryan Briscoe came close to standing in for Mika Salo at the opening round of the 2002 Season.

[AnonymityRules]

Gary Brabham was his father's team's preferred choice to partner Stefano Modena in 1990. Gary of course made the big mistake of joining Life so Brabham ran Gregor Foitek on a two-race deal then hired David Brabham once he'd got his superlicence.

[crmalcolm]

From Dec 2009:

Jacques Villeneuve's is the latest name linked with the rumours about Renault's future in Formula One.

It was reported on Thursday that David Richards' Prodrive company may be close to agreeing a deal to take over the French carmaker's Enstone based chassis-building plant.

It is now expected that Mangrove Capital Partners, involved with the driver management group Gravity Sport who have Jerez tester Ho-Pin Tung on their roster, is a part of the Renault/Prodrive deal.

The Chinese driver Tung drove a Gravity Racing International-entered Mosler MT900R in this year's 24 Hours of Spa, and also on the team was French Canadian Villeneuve.

"We cannot comment on the Renault situation, but it is well known that our intention is to get into F1," a Prodrive spokesman said.