F1 Teams We Would Like to See Return to Racing

In Formula One’s 67-year history, many teams have come and gone. Some have been successful while others failed to make a lasting impression. Some manufacturers like Maserati and Alfa Romeo have both won the F1 world championship, piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio and Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina respectively. Other manufacturers like Lamborghini and Bugatti, who came from a rich racing pedigree and are well known for their hypercars, were not very competitive. However, there are some teams that Formula One fans would love to see return to the sport.

5. British American Racing

This British Formula One constructor raced from 1999 to 2005 after acquisition of the Tyrrell team. In their maiden season they partnered with Supertech with disastrous results. The following year, they partnered with Honda, who proved to be much more reliable than the Supertech. In 2004, the BAR Honda witnessed their most successful season till date. Jenson Button was consistently in the top 5 during the course of the season. Fans would have surely missed the iconic livery from 2004. Unfortunately, with the ban on tobacco advertisements, the Lucky Strike logo will be absent if the team did return to racing. the BAR team bad drivers like Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson Button, Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato and 1996 Monaco winner Olivier Panis.

4. Toyota

Officially making their debut in 2002, they had one of the biggest budgets that year but were only able to score a measly 2 points courtesy of two 6th place finishes by Finnish driver Mika Salo. 2003 saw a massive improvement in terms of quantity as they accumulated a grand total of 16 points, but they still ended the season in 8th place ahead of Jordan and Minardi. 2004 was a tough year because they were caught amid an espionage case where they were accused of copying Ferrari. After the 2009 season, Toyota and Honda pulled out due to the financial crisis. They are currently focussing on their World Endurance Championship (WEC) program, and are not contemplating a comeback to F1 any time soon.

3. BMW

The German manufacturer has been in Formula One since 1982 as an engine supplier for various teams. In the year 2000, they partnered with the Williams team, a partnership that would last 6 years. In the very first year of their partnership, they finished 3rd in the constructors standings. they remained competitive for 4 whole seasons, and then came 2004. Even a radical change in the car’s physical appearance was unable to stop the competitive streak from spiralling downwards. At the end of the 2005 season, the BMW William relationship had deteriorated and in a last ditch effort, BMW offered to buy Williams, but Frank Williams refused, so BMW bought the Sauber team instead. for the 2006 season, BMW Sauber had a decent lineup of Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve would later leave the Swiss-German team with his place being taken by Robert Kubica. The Polish driver would reward the team with their first and only win of the season in 2008. Current Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel also debuted with BMW Sauber in 2007 following Kubica’s monster crash in Canada. The team finished 2nd in the constructors championship after McLaren were disqualified after their role in the espionage case with Ferrari. The duo of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica were retained until the team’s exit in 2009 due to an inconsistent season.

2. Alfa Romeo.

Back in December 2016, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne hinted at the possibility of Alfa Romeo returning to Grand Prix racing. “At the moment, because of the launch of road cars that will come out soon, there already numerous commitments from a financial point of view,” explained the Italian. “With the launch of the Giulia and the Stelvio [road cars] we have to wait a bit, but I hope to be able to bring it back.” Marchionne also believes that the Alfa Romeo team could act as a breeding ground for young talent. “We are not trying to emulate the experience of Red Bull Marko with [Max] Verstappen. This is a unique case and we can’t replicate it. We like [Antonio] Giovinazzi because he’s a great driver. The Scuderia must have a group of young drivers who must be ready to be involved.

1. Jaguar

The Jaguar team made its debut in 2000 after buying out the Stewart team from Sir Jackie Stewart. In its first season, the Ford-owned team could not match the results of its predecessor Stewart. Things were not looking up in 2001 either as a conflict between Bobby Rahal and Niki Lauda threatened to affect the team. Following Rahal’s resignation, Lauda took over in 2002 but things were much worse. After a restructuring in 2003, things took a turn for the better. 2004 proved to be Jaguar’s final season in Formula One because the parent company sold the team to Red Bull. Now, in 2017, Jaguar have returned to racing, albeit in Formula E.