Whether there will be resources combined between the two teams I don’t know. It will be interesting to see whether that is the case, but it is difficult to understand when you have got two different engine packages to look at, where they can actually overlap to a great degree, with the technology and the design side. So it will be interesting.
Q:
Midland was sold on to Spyker
F1 towards the end of the year. Did Midland contribute enough or did they come into the sport with their eyes a bit closed?
MB:
I think at the end of it they came in and they knew what was there and they understood what they were up against and they got through. The name was there for a period of time and now they are gone, but what you have to say is, we are fortunate there is still a team around. It would be a great disappointment to see another team drop off the end of the grid. I’m sure there was a lot of enjoyment and I am sure there were a lot of times of trouble throughout the relationship with Midland purchasing the former Jordan team. But, let’s just hope it goes from strength to strength now and we see a stronger Spyker team. There is definitely some enthusiasm behind it and there are some relationships being talked about for the future which would make that package stronger.
Q:
The
Super Aguri team was created in record time, despite that though they really progressed as the season went on. That was very good wasn’t it in light of the resources they had and have?
MB:
They have done extremely well and it is a testimony to them. Also it is something for the other teams to look at too and say: ‘Wow! This team turned up and within the space of 12 months they went from nothing to having two cars on the grid’. Not only that, but they were quickly doing grand prix distances as well - that is a great achievement. They are by no means the biggest budgeted team down the pit lane, yeah, they have got some help with the support of
Honda, but it is very much a team that has got a family atmosphere attached to it.
