The deadline to register with the FIA for next year's WRC was yesterday. Prodrive/MINI failed to register. There had been rumblings about a lack of money and sponsorship hampering the programme, especially as BMW appear to be concentrating all their efforts on the new M3 DTM car. From Autosport.com Mini has missed the deadline to sign up for next year's World Rally Championship, which closed last night. Officials from the Banbury-based team are currently in negotiations with BMW in Munich and the FIA as they seek a possible extension to the deadline. While there is no immediate concern over the future of the John Cooper Works WRC programme, there are reportedly significant issues which need to be resolved in the Anglo-German relationship. Prodrive, the firm which prepares the factory Minis for Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo, made no comment on the situation, but sources in Germany have indicated a strong desire to continue in the world championship. The source said: "We have made two podiums already in the development year, we can't fail but to be very happy with what we are achieving. There are a few things to talk about and time has beaten us on the deadline, but the cars will be in Monte Carlo - we couldn't miss the Mini's return to that rally." After missing Rally Australia earlier this season, Mini had been expected to commit to 2012 as a full manufacturer. Both Ford and Citroen have committed as expected.
That doesnt really bode well does it.... Hope they get the 'issues' resolved and get in. I daresay the championship needs them to be pretty successfull in their first year too, just to get more manufacturers in.
There is no way that was a mistake, there has to be something going on in the background and someone has decided they wouldn't meet that deadline.
The fact that they are seeking an extension to the deadline shows positive signs. Prodrive want complete control of engine development from BMW, so that could be a sticking point. Prodrive also want to commit to a full calendar of events and therefore need more money off BMW/MINI. BMW are running a full in-house DTM programme this year and may only have funds for a limited WRC programme, in the absence of a major sponsor. So that could be a sticking point. Last available accounts show Prodrive recorded almost £3m profit. Annual turnover: £41,912,000.00 Annual profit: £2,814,000.00
do you have any links to back this up? they seem to be doing pretty good, £2.8million profit, then the business in Australia, they're hiring left right and centre, and are relocating to a new premises. A few of my friends are applying there for jobs so I'd just like to see how credible the source is
Info like that gets to me via the media word of mouth so no, don't have any evidence but maybe its just the rally end that's going bad and the rest of prodrive is ok. It would likely take 2.8mill alone to run sordo for a season, never mind meekes car, mini alone is likely 1mill to build and close to 400k per event. It's around 200k to hire a super2000 for an event so can't imagine the logistical costs and running costs of a wrc, hard to do it with no sponsors
The costs of running Sordo, Meeke and the whole team would be paid by BMW/MINI. Prodrive are merely contracted to build and run the cars. Also, any costs would be in the turnover figure. The Monte cars have been built. Sordo has a new chassis, Meeke will be using the car he drove in the tail end of the this season. They have a full customer programme as well and are currently building a RHD MINI WRC.
Also according to the link below, Prodrive are in an exceptionally healthy state. Accounts filed on 27/09/2011. Over £13m in the bank, assets of £52m and liabilities of only £35m http://companycheck.co.uk/company/03855989
this is a bit daft from BMW. decide to enter the WRC, enlist Prodrive, hire 2 decent drivers, develop a car which was on the pace in it's development year and steal one of Ford's sponsors in BP then go and miss the deadline to enter their first full season. something is a miss, doesn't add up at all. I'm sure Sordo and Meeke are chuffed maybe they're afraid that VW will beat them when they join in 2013
I was at the Motorsport dinner afew weeks back and Meeke was interview during it and had full intentions to be competing for Mini wrc this season...
Typical BMW . .they wrecktheir own chances of success in every area of motorsport they enter . . Superbikes , they,r bike is full of electronics so their riders cant feel a damm thing on the track , F1 . . had a half hearted go at it and when they couldnt buy success ,they left . Now . .squabling with Prodrive ,who have produced a great wrc car, over who knows wot ! Even he Car company,s they have bought over the years were Raped of anything valuable and then discarded . .
aparently Prodrive have confirmed to Pistonheads that they and BMW will be in Monte Carlo and the for the rest of the season. Pure politics.
From Sammy Hamill in the Belfast Telegraph. Meeke called to meeting on future of Mini team By Sammy Hamill Concerns are being raised over the future of the John Cooper Mini team after they missed the deadline to sign up for next year’s World rally championship. I understand drivers Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo have been summoned to a meeting tomorrow at the Banbury headquarters of Prodrive, the organisation which builds and runs the BMW Mini Countryman cars in the World series. Ulsterman Meeke, who has just completed the first year of a three-year contract with the team, wasn’t available for comment but Sordo admitted on Facebook that “even I don’t know the program for next year. I hope that after an important meeting on Thursday with the team that I know the plans for 2012.” There was no official comment from Prodrive or BMW although it is understood they were involved in urgent negotiations yesterday. There were reports, too, that the championship deadline would be extended until tomorrow night. It is no secret that the Mini project which was launched just over a year ago has been experiencing financial difficulties despite the success of its first development season in which Meeke and Sordo competed on six rounds of the series. The Spaniard scored two podium finishes and Meeke just missed out on a third, finishing fourth on Rally GB, before ending the year with a win on the high profile Bettega Memorial Night Sprint in Bologna. Senior members of Prodrive management have admitted they urgently need a major sponsor but the quest to find one has not been helped by the on-going question marks over next season’s television coverage after the parent company of rights holder, North One Sport, went into receivership following the arrest of owner Vladimir Antonov. The Russian, also the principal shareholder of Portsmouth Football Club which has gone into administration, has been accused of a massive 1.6m dollar fraud involving a bank he owns in Lithuania. It is thought unlikely the Mini programme will collapse but Autosport magazine reports there are “significant issues which need to be resolved in the Anglo-German relationship.” It quotes a BMW source as saying: “There are a few things to talk about and time has beaten us on the deadline, but the cars will be in Monte Carlo, we couldn't miss the Mini's return to that rally.” But no mention of what happens afterwards. Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/s...ture-of-mini-team-16093900.html#ixzz1hC4FGJEt
So it seems that the real reason behind Prodrive/MINI/BMW failure to confirm a "works" entry in the 2012 WRC is down to the absolute mess that the Championship is currently in. North One Sport, who own the TV rights and promote the championship, are in administraton and the major investor in North One has been arrested. Latest news from iRally: The FIA in its first public comment on the WRC situation for a fortnight has admitted that talks are under way with MINI to secure the iconic brand's participation in the 2012 WRC. In a release a few moments ago, the FIA said it was "continuing discussions with the MINI WRC Team in the hope of reaching an agreement that will see it participate in a limited programme in 2012". Earlier sources within Prodrive told iRally the uncertainty over global promoter North One Sport has led to MINI/BMW not submitting an Entry Form for the 2012 Manufacturers Championship by Monday's deadline. The release also confirmed Manufacturer Entries for Ford and Citroen, plus a Team Entry with a Ford for Brazil's Paulo Nobre Link to the FIA statement: http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/wrc/2011/Pages/2012-wrc-entrants.aspx
Should be able to. It's very, very good. It's run by Colin Clark of Total Rally/Rally Radio fame. Breaking stories everyday and always plenty to read.
Right latest - Today The Times are reporting a dispute between Dave Richards (owner of Prodrive) and BMW. 3 new prospective owners for North One Sport as well - A tv broadcaster, a company involved in the motor industry, and a group of investors. Had been previously reported that Eurosport and Sky were both looking at buying the WRC. Will get The Times in a bit.