In today's F1, there is seemingly zero reverence for the rich history of the series beyond mouthing the name "Senna" in fluff pieces and observing a hush whenever "Imola" is intoned.
Ever since Gold Leaf Tobacco appeared on cars in the late 1960s, sponsorship has been necessary but most teams were not defined by their bankroll. Maserati, BRM, Vanwall, Ferrari, McLaren, Brabham, Surtees, Lotus (Colin Chapman), Williams, Toyota, Honda, etc. were either individuals*, racing teams, or car marques (sometimes both!) At their core, team names should bear some semblance to the actual team owner/corporate body and not be changed like underwear when a new cash infusion looms (pun intended).**
The author of the attached piece forgets when there were two "Lotus" teams on the grid--one running black and gold livery under the bespoke moniker and one in green and gold as "Caterham." Yes, intellectual property rights and other concerns played a role in that fiasco, but it dilutes the "pur sang" per se of Formula 1.
*My two cents--F1 NEEDS Andretti as much as the latter needs F1. The teams opposing expansion ignores the cache of a legendary name and the real need for at least two additional teams. Concern about who gets X amount of dollars from the total pie will be moot if the fanbase loses interest in the F1 circus.
**Sidenote to history: KC "Hollywood" Spurlock campaigned an NHRA funnycar in the 1990s flying the "Fruit of the Loom" banner.
Ever since Gold Leaf Tobacco appeared on cars in the late 1960s, sponsorship has been necessary but most teams were not defined by their bankroll. Maserati, BRM, Vanwall, Ferrari, McLaren, Brabham, Surtees, Lotus (Colin Chapman), Williams, Toyota, Honda, etc. were either individuals*, racing teams, or car marques (sometimes both!) At their core, team names should bear some semblance to the actual team owner/corporate body and not be changed like underwear when a new cash infusion looms (pun intended).**
The author of the attached piece forgets when there were two "Lotus" teams on the grid--one running black and gold livery under the bespoke moniker and one in green and gold as "Caterham." Yes, intellectual property rights and other concerns played a role in that fiasco, but it dilutes the "pur sang" per se of Formula 1.
*My two cents--F1 NEEDS Andretti as much as the latter needs F1. The teams opposing expansion ignores the cache of a legendary name and the real need for at least two additional teams. Concern about who gets X amount of dollars from the total pie will be moot if the fanbase loses interest in the F1 circus.
**Sidenote to history: KC "Hollywood" Spurlock campaigned an NHRA funnycar in the 1990s flying the "Fruit of the Loom" banner.
Mooted name change for Red Bull's other F1 team is problematic - The Race
The question of what the second Red Bull F1 team is called from 2024 brings up the troublesome of topic of identity under the franchise model.
the-race.com