Rodin Cars has expanded on its unsuccessful F1 bid with the FIA process, as it notes Andretti Global to be the firm one.
After the FIA confirmed about some unsuccessful bids of F1 teams trying to make it to the grid, Rodin Cars have confirmed itself to be one of the unsuccessful bidders in a statement. The company from New Zealand had applied with several pointers in their name.
They wanted to be the first team with a base in the Southern Hemisphere in New Zealand, while they would have kept one seat for a female driver and also tested Jamie Chadwick for the same. She would have gotten the nod if things had worked out.
They did test Liam Lawson too – who is backed by Rodin and is currently driving for AlphaTauri as a replacement to injured Daniel Ricciardo. Louis Sharp was another driver to be tested by them, who currently races in British F4 with Carlin Racing.
Rodin noted about a Ferrari collaboration had they been successful, while they were also prepared to form a junior alliance with Carlin whom they have already acquired. In terms of finances, founder David Dicker stated itself to be fully equipped to pay the sum.
Interestingly, Rodin revealed about a successful bid for Andretti Global, who certainly remains a front-runner in the pack but haven’t yet been confirmed to be the one. “Rodin Cars participated in the recent FIA process aimed at gaining entry into the prestigious Formula 1 World Championship. Unfortunately, our bid was not successful,” the statement from Rodin read.
“This statement is intended to provide insight into the key points of our bid that we believe justified its merit. We wish to emphasise that our objective here is not to criticise the FIA or seek a reconsideration of its decision. We fully respect and accept the outcome. Our sole purpose is to release information we consider in the public interest to inform the Formula 1 community.
“Recent information suggests, as anticipated from the outset of this process, that the only successful applicant will be Andretti Global. Below, we outline the significant differences between the Andretti bid and the Rodin bid:
- Geographic Diversity – Rodin Cars proposed building the cars at our state-of-the-art facility in New Zealand, making us the only current manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Guaranteed Female Driver – We committed to reserving one seat for a female driver. We have tested Liam Lawson, Jamie Chadwick and Louis Sharp at our facility in New Zealand, in both an F3 car and our own car, the Rodin FZed, which is a car somewhat quicker than a GP2/F2 car. Jamie performed exceptionally well, and if she was available, we would have no hesitation in putting her in a seat.
- Car manufacturer – While we have not produced a large volume of cars, we have a very extensive manufacturing facility in New Zealand. This includes an engine facility capable of building an entire engine from the castings up. Additionally, Rodin Cars has full composite capabilities and our own test tracks. We are particularly proud to announce that we have a fully functional prototype of our FZero. A car designed to challenge Formula 1 lap times. This car has been conceived and designed in New Zealand. The gearbox is built by Ricardo to a Rodin concept and the 4-litre V10 engine has been developed by Neil Brown Engines, again to a Rodin concept. The assembly, fabrication and testing of the car has been done entirely within our facility in New Zealand.
- Ferrari collaboration – We had the opportunity of discussions for a Ferrari collaboration on the Rodin F1 car.
- Junior Race Team – Through our acquisition of Carlin, we have established a comprehensive junior open-wheel program encompassing F4, GB3, F3, and F2. While Andretti has a long history of successful participation in U.S. racing, our program offers a direct ladder to an F1 drive by competing in UK and European championships.
- Founder funded – Unlike recent applicants, Rodin Cars is financially equipped to fully fund the Formula 1 program from the personal wealth of our founder.
“We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the FIA process and extend our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid. Rodin Cars remains committed to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and will continue to pursue excellence in the world of racing,” summed up Dicker from Rodin.