Lancia to return to F1?

[Ed Levin]

from the August issue of Octane magazine:

"LANCIA TO RETURN TO F1?

Abarth could also re-enter World Rally Championship, as Fiat seeks to relaunch neglected brands

THE FIAT GROUP could be poised to return two of its brands - Lancia and Abarth - to topflight motor sport. Paddock gossip in the run up to Mays Monaco Grand Prix focused heavily on the fate of Scuderia Toro Rosso [née Minardi]. Fiat is being tipped to acquire the Faenza-based outfit - or at least the 50% owned by energy drinks magnate Dieter Mateschitz - and rebrand it as Lancia. In doing so, it would signal the marques return to the premier single-seater series after 52 years.
Gathering even more momentum is the news that the once-mighty Abarth brand appears set to feature in the World Rally Championship, following appearances in the lesser Intercontinental Challenge. After impressive showings over the last two seasons, Fiats tuning arm could step up as soon as next year. Both marques need image overhauls as Fiat seeks to broaden their appeal on a global stage. Lancia currently sells just 105,000 cars a year, with the vast majority being shifted on the home market. Bosses are aiming to ramp-up Lancia production to 300,000 cars per year, with sales resuming in the UK from 2009, and the new
Delta leading the big push. Cars will be sold through selected Alfa Romeo outlets and promoted as a sub-Maserati luxury brand. Other models, including a reworking of the Fulvia concept car first seen at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, could follow. A revival of the Flaminia tag has also been mooted.
Though still highly speculative, recent events suggest Lancia’s return to Formula One is viable. Toro Rosso is obliged to build its own chassis from 2010, having used customer cars from the closely related Red Bull team in recent seasons. The economies of scale of doing so are such that Mateschitz is keen to sell his stake, and fast. With Ferrari already supplying the team with engines and associated technologies, a Fiat buyout at a bargain price doesn’t seem such a stretch; it would effectively become a Ferrari ‘B’ team. Nicolas Todt, son of Ferrari’s former sporting director Jean Todt, is being closely linked to any possible bid. The driver manager, and boss of the successful ART GP2 squad, has strong ties with the Fiat Group and is respected as an emerging player."