MasterCard Lola
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| Full name | MasterCard Lola |
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| Base | Huntingdon, United Kingdom |
| Founder(s) | Eric Broadley |
| Noted drivers | Vincenzo Sospiri, Ricardo Rosset |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Engines | Melling V10 (never completed), Ford |
| Debut | 1997 Australian Grand Prix |
| Races competed | 2 (0 starts) |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final race | 1997 Brazilian Grand Prix |
MasterCard Lola is a former Formula One team that contested one race in the 1997 Formula One season, failed to qualify, and then withdrew from the sport.
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[edit] Competition history
Team principal Eric Broadley didn't cover himself in glory with the effort, which sometimes is not even recognized on that season's entry list. After years of providing chassis to other teams, mainly Larrousse, Broadley planned a team that would compete solely under Lola ownership. A prototype chassis was first tested in 1995 with Allan McNish and in late 1996 Broadley announced the team's participation in the near future. The team had originally intended to enter F1 in 1998, but entered a year early in 1997, Broadley saying that this was due to commercial pressures from the team's sponsors.
Comparisons to the progress of Stewart Grand Prix, another all-new team debuting in 1997, would highlight Lola's shortcomings. The Lola chassis, dubbed the T97/30, was based on most of their IndyCar technology yet never saw the inside of a wind tunnel and barely had on-track tests. This was mainly due to the fact that the design of the engine fell behind schedule. The ambitious project of the engine design was the responsability of Al Melling. Al and his Rochdale based MCD found themselves "out of their depth" and failed to make dyno tests in the winter. It was later announced by MCD that the engine would not be ready until Silverstone in the middle of the season leaving Lola to use the underpowered Ford customer engine. Vincenzo Sospiri and Ricardo Rosset were signed to drive, but wound up as the victims of the project. By the time the car made it to the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, the team's failings were laid bare, with the cars bottom of the timesheets by a considerable margin. Under 1997 rules, drivers would only be allowed to start a race if they had to set a qualifying time within 107% of the pole position time, and 11 and 13 seconds respectively, with the unintended Ford unit, Sospiri and Rosset were nowhere near achieving this. While Stewart Grand Prix had performed respectably, the Lola cars would not be seen at a Formula 1 event ever again.
[edit] End of the road
On 26 March 1997, the Wednesday before the Brazilian Grand Prix, Lola announced it was withdrawing from the Brazil race due to "financial and technical problems". Lola's staff, who had already travelled to Interlagos, returned to the team's base in Huntingdon, England. Shortly afterwards, Lola withdrew from the World Championship outright.[1]
In its short existence as a Formula One constructor Lola incurred £6 million in debt; the company never recovered from this and went into receivership several weeks later.[2] Irish entrepreneur Martin Birrane purchased the company and oversaw a revival in the company's fortunes; however, Lola has not been involved in Formula One in any capacity since. The original MCD engine remains on the drawing board to this day.
On 22 April 2009, Lola announced its intention to launch a full scale works effort for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.[3]
On 15 May 2009 Lola officially announced its intention to enter a team in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. The team admitted that they had to re-examine their position after the plans to introduce a budget cap of £30million were raised to £40m but insisted it was "an opportunity not to be missed".[4]
However, on 17 June 2009, Lola announced it had abandoned plans to return to F1 after failing to secure a place on the initial 2010 entry list.[5]
[edit] Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Lola T97/30 | Ford Zetec-R V8 | B | AUS | BRA | ARG | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | AUT | LUX | JPN | EUR | 0 | NC | |
| Vincenzo Sospiri | DNQ | DNP | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ricardo Rosset | DNQ | DNP |
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Lola out of Brazilian GP and out of season?..." - Autosport.com, 26 March 1997. Accessed 25 October 2007.
- ^ "Lola Cars in administration" - Grandprix.com, 26 May 1997. Accessed 25 October 2007.)
- ^ Lola ponder return to Formula One - BBC Sport, 22 April 2009. Accessed 22 April 2009.
- ^ [1] Lola Submit F1 Entry, F1 official website
- ^ Lola abandons planned F1 comeback BBC Sport, 17 June 2009
[edit] External links
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