The FIA is currently looking at the various dossiers of the teams that want to become the 13th Formula 1 franchise-holder. Some of those in the running seem to be making a lot of noise in the hope that this will add to their credibility. The team that is leaking out the most information at the moment is Durango Corse, which has some kind of alliance – as yet unclear – with Jacques Villeneuve.
The latest rumours suggest that money could be coming for the Italian team from one of the sons of Colonel Gaddafi, the eccentric 68-year-old ruler of Libya. Al Saadi Gaddafi was recently ordered to pay $507,000, plus legal costs, to the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Rapallo, Italy, where he stayed in 2008 while hoping to be signed by the Sampdoria soccer club. Gaddafi Jr and his retinue – consisting of a personal secretary, waiters, bodyguards, a personal trainer, a driver, and a dog handler – used a luxury suite and a number of bedrooms in the hotel. He also hosted a number of parties and receptions at the hotel. He departed for Cannes leaving the Libyan Embassy in Rome to pay the bill. The diplomats declined to do so because they had received no such instruction.
There is no doubt that a member of the Gaddafi family could probably find the money to invest in an F1 team. The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector.
What, Gadaffi? That would arguably be worse than the Briatore-Symonds pair being involved.
Wow if there was ever someone born for the world of F1 this guy must be it, ticks all the check boxes. All he needs is a partner like Flav..
I wonder if there’s just an outside chance that the sport would attract some slightly more reputable investors if FOM didn’t have Arthur Daly at the helm.
Why he doesn’t bought the team?
Probably with the blessing of T. Blair.
I seem to remember a mini storm brewing when the Gaddafi regime invested serious dollars in the Agnelli-Fiat empire a few years back – so perhaps Ferrari would be considered as an engine supplier – particularly given the Villeneuve connection.
Excellent platform for BP sponsorship. Not too late for Piquet either.
Cool,Tripoli GP Mk II!
We need someone to replace FB
Gaddafi is apparently buying BP as well, so they can promote their new brand with the F1 team. A Scottish driver would be perfect?
Paraphrasing what the excellent Robert Fisk of the Independent) wrote about the nonsense that Libya was making a nuclear bomb;
“The idea of a Libyan Formula One Team is ludicrous; just say it out loud, “Libyan Formula One Team”. They can’t even get a toilet to flush in Benghazi.”
A Gaddafi, heh? Next we’ll hear that Andrea Sassetti is trying to make a come back!
Interesting that everybody’s favourite berserk Serb has been quiet on the subject of lodging an F1 entry for 2011. Has he learnt that being mouthy doesn’t endear you to F1, or has he given up?
Haha, if it wasn’t that I know you would never joke about such a thing I’d swear it could be April fool’s day. Can you imagine any serious sponsor wanting to be involved in that team?
Wasn’t Briatore recently a guest of Gadaffi Jr on a shooting holiday?
A different Gadaffi Jr
He’s not his dad though. Look at Max Mosely.
Gaddafi is well known dictator and abuser of his country’s finances. Go to Foreignpolicy.com and read their list of failed states. Any team connected to any Gaddafi should be kept far from our sport. F1 can’t be connected to a regime accused of human rights abuses.
Funny as it may seem, Libya does have a connection to GP racing. A Tripoli GP was held 5 times between 1935 and 1939 as part of the European Championship– the pre-war equivalent of todays World Champs. Mercedes Benz won 4 of these 480km races with cars that would sneer at the present day MB F1 cars !
Here he is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Saadi_al-Gaddafi
and here’s the article for the bill:
http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/africa/2010/6/28/Italian-court-tells-Gaddafi-son-pay-huge-hotel-bill,601b4223-e69a-418d-b0fb-7643b51a20cd.html
At least Jacques has cleared the air a bit regarding his entry now, although I am still skeptical about the link up with Durango. I hope he is buying them out rather than just joining them. I wonder if they are eyeing the Toyota assets as a way to hit the ground running?
After reading about this latest lame duck bid, in my opinion it is quite clear that Epsilon Euskadi should be the 13th team. They have the brains, the finance and the facilities to do F1 properly.
Anyhow I think we will be going through this again in a year as I somehow doubt HRT will be back for 2011.