Maserati Branding in F1 - Rumours

Team GCR

Member
Messages
1,152
Interesting article by Joe Saward..........


Marchionne and Maserati



There are rumours coming out Italy that Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne wants Haas F1 to take on Maserati sponsorship in 2018, along similar lines to the deal that was recently struck with Sauber for the team to be sponsored by Alfa Romeo. The word is that the engines would remain Ferraris and that it would simply be a case of title sponsorship - for the time-being. This would give Marchionne a level of control over Haas in the political battles ahead in F1, although Gene Haas does not need the money and so might simply tell Marchionne that he is not interested. The deal would no doubt save Haas a great deal of money but it is fairly clear that Marchionne would want to be able to place drivers with the team in the longer term. Haas insists that it is sticking with its current line-up of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen next year.

Maserati is a brand that has long associations with the sport, dating back to the 1920s. The last Maserati team in F1 was as long ago as 1957, shortly before the firm went into receivership. There were still engines supplied after the company restructured, including engines in the 1960s, used by Cooper. The Cooper-Maseratis managed to win two races: with John Surtees at the Mexican GP in 1966 and Pedro Rodriguez in South Africa in 1967. The engines faded out of F1 as the Cosworth became the dominant force in 1968 and the last Maseratis in F1 were in 1969. By then the company had been sold to Citroen. In 1975 it was put into liquidation, although it was again revived, this time by Alejandro de Tomaso. It was then sold to Fiat in 1993 and ended up under Ferrari control from 1997 onwards, although it would return to Fiat control from 2005 onwards.

Under Marchionne the firm has introduced the Levante SUV and sales have increased significantly. Moving the brand into F1 is designed to add a bit more glitz with the likely outcome being that the Alfa Romeo-Maserati division will be spun off, in order to reduce FCA's debt and make it more attractive for a sale or a merger.
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,757
Interesting but more worryingly Ferrari influencing 3 teams which might help there case when it comes to setting engine regulations in the future.

I see F1 going down the route of teams running 2 teams, senior & junior where talent and ideas can be nurtured & tested just like Red Bull & Toro Rosso have been doing for years. Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Renault & Red Bull with Volkswagon Audi entering with a couple of it's brands in the next few years.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Ferrari had some pretty big leverage against sauber, mainly that they have been selling them 2016 spec engines... a big part of sauber taking on the alfa name is to get the most up-to-date power units probably subsidised as they might not be able to afford 15million euro per unit considering they are back of the grid
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
I think its exciting times in F1 at the mo.

Ferrari and Renault catching Mercedes and Mclaren should be back to the front rows of the grid too and Alonso looks hungry for it.

The only blot is this blessed Halo system coming in. Ok I get the safety issue, but its a sport for men, if you cant stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,757
I agree potentially going through a resurgence just hope the racing is closer.

Halo device is not great but they had to do something, I think it will develop over time but you have to start somewhere
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
Really can't see how brand sponsorship means the brand is returning to F1.

Fine for advertising but it's just stickers on a car.
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
Given my surname and love of all things Maserati, this is my wet dream. I would buy a lifetime supply of branded shirts and cups and probably try and convince hot chicks at the pub that I own then team.
 

Classico

Member
Messages
895
Pointless exercise IMO.

If Maserati as a marque wants real street cred, it needs to divorce itself from FGA and Marchionne.

Let's be honest, the Group CEO doesn't give a flying proverbial about Maserati and its racing history. All he's worried about (rightly or wrongly) is sales, economies of scale and parts sharing with Chrysler.

I've always felt they were better off under someone like V.A.G. Look at what that group has done for Lamborghini.

Build its own engines. Take on Ferrari. Now that would be exciting.

But as someone once said, building something faster than a Ferrari in Italy is a social no-no. It's like vomiting on the Pope. Yes that was Clarkson.
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
C’mon, we all own about them doing nothing, now they might do something and it’s not good enough. At least it would help build some more brand value and maybe help them push to make some decent new cars to sell and recoup their investment.
 

agooner

Junior Member
Messages
103
Given my avatar, F1 has never done it for me. Now Maserati at Le Mans that would be interesting.

In fact, let Ferrari have F1 and Maserati have Le Mans.
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,038
In fact, let Ferrari have F1 and Maserati have Le Mans.

I agree with you that would be pretty cool....But Le Mans just isn't as popular or has the same commercial value with advertising. Le Mans is know by enthiusiasts like s by F1 is far reaching and the Maserati name would be seen more ... Which is what they must be thinking. This us purely marketing and getting the Maserati name out there into more households ...... To ultimately sell more cars....
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Given my avatar, F1 has never done it for me. Now Maserati at Le Mans that would be interesting.

In fact, let Ferrari have F1 and Maserati have Le Mans.

I am with you there Gooner!

Dig out the MC12 and dust her off...see you in 'The Sarthe' in 7 months and counting :)
 

Strinsing99

New Member
Messages
9
As a pure branding issue I get it, i.e. it might sell more cars assuming Haas can cut it As a serious player in F1, not really.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
I'm not sure how willing Gene Haas would be he might threaten to go to Honda for engines. Gunter Steiner has all the ties with ferrari he's responsible for getting the '17 spec engines, access to the Ferrari wind tunnel and the rest of the development "help" they got prior to their first season... if it wasn't for all of that Ferrari technical support it would be Caterham/manner all over again... but F1 has a new policy to give greater support to emerging teams and they have hopefully learnt from their mistakes as manner/murusia was a total disaster
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,101
My take is that F1 will become like MotoGP in that you have your best riders in the 'Factory' team, your 'up and coming talent' or 'old development rider' in your satellite teams and sell more bikes to customer teams. It's done wonders for the sport. Ducati dominate the grid with around 8 bikes in various guises, they even get their 'test' rider on the podium when he turns up at a race.

However, I always thought that Maserati should have the 24 racing and Ferrari F1, I see Aston Martin as the grand touring competitor to Maserati not Ferrari after all, we compare the Granturismo to the Vantage and not the Vantage to the 488. Likewise the Porsche 911.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Problem is Ferrari. Their Le Mans history runs deep so I feel they want it to be theirs.

Putting Maserati in again means they are second fiddle and again as in F1’s, can’t actually compete so what’s the point?

The only way it could work in Le Mans is to compete in a different class. Ferrari are firmly routed in GT1, or GT pro as it’s now known.

Would it not be an idea to take their F1 car and modify it for running in LMP1 or 2 branded as Maserati or Alfa??
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,101
Problem is Ferrari. Their Le Mans history runs deep so I feel they want it to be theirs.

Putting Maserati in again means they are second fiddle and again as in F1's, can't actually compete so what's the point?

The only way it could work in Le Mans is to compete in a different class. Ferrari are firmly routed in GT1, or GT pro as it's now known.

Would it not be an idea to take their F1 car and modify it for running in LMP1 or 2 branded as Maserati or Alfa??
That's the problem, but an interesting solution. LMP1 is getting to be a one horse race with no Audi, Porsche or Nissan.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
 

Roger Bassett

New Member
Messages
15
Given my surname and love of all things Maserati, this is my wet dream. I would buy a lifetime supply of branded shirts and cups and probably try and convince hot chicks at the pub that I own then team.

Me too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk