Prodrive plan F1 facility

ByEurosport

Published 01/03/2006 at 14:55 GMT

British motor racing company Prodrive has taken a giant step towards entering Formula One by announcing plans to build a state-of-the-art facility in Southern England. Prodrive is an independent outfit that currently runs the Subaru WRC team, the Aston Martin DBR9 GT cars and had links with BAR F1.

2006 Prodrive Facility Honiley

Image credit: From Official Website

The company, which is owned by former BAR and Benetton team owner David Richards, has requested planning permission to build a state-of-the-art facility, to be names the Fulcrum, on a former World War II airfield at Honiley, England.

Prodrive's entry into the 2008 Formula One World Championship in 2008 is based on plans to drastically reduce costs by allowing both parts and chassis to be sold amongst teams, and the facility is a logical step towards this goal.

Should the planning permission be accepted, David Richards also reiterated that the facility could also be used for other motor racing purposes. "The British automotive and motorsport industries are coming under increasing pressure from competition overseas," he said.

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"By developing the Fulcrum, we can provide high level technical skills and resources which will help the region's vehicle manufacturers and motorsport teams succeed and, at the same time, encourage more inward investment to the West Midlands.”