There's an employment law wrangle with former contract holders North One, Eurosport and the FIA. North One are stating that TUPE means that Eurosport will be bound by law to take on the former North One employees
Agree... but is that not the reason why BMW/MINI went rallying? To broaden brand appeal, to tap into new markets, and to give the Countryman model a distinct identity, separate from the existing range, harking back to the former motorsport glories of the Mini Cooper? Also agree...but... Part and parcel of all motorsport these days Bring money to the table, you get to drive. Just so happens that his Dad runs a world rally team. Wish mine did. I could be as equally slow, but living the dream.
Latest rumour doing the rounds on Twitter is that BMW hired Stagni's (Motorsport Italia/Ralliart Italia) to carry out an audit and evaluate costs of the WRC program. Based on the audit BMW believe they can get better value for money with another Prep Company....
The saga continues. To next week at least. Announcement due next week on future of Prodrive's WRC Mini future By David Evans http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97312 A resolution to the ongoing situation between the BMW Group and Prodrive is expected early next week, when the Banbury firm is reportedly going to be told that its contract to build Mini John Cooper Works WRCs is terminated. As reported by AUTOSPORT on Thursday, the BMW Group's decision is believed to have been taken to split from Prodrive. That decision is expected to be communicated to the company responsible for the development and build of the Mini either on Friday or early next week. AUTOSPORT's sources have reported that a meeting of Prodrive staff has been convened for Monday morning. When contacted by AUTOSPORT on Friday afternoon, a spokesperson from the BMW Group said: "We have no comment to make". Despite collecting three podiums from seven World Rally Championship starts, the dispute between Prodrive and the BMW Group over financing the programme appears beyond reconciliation.
The saga ends. Full statement from BMW/MINI here: http://www.minimotorsport.com/en/news/mini_to_follow_new_path_in_the_fia_wrc Synopsis: Prodrive no longer have "works" status and will only run the private, customer cars. The former customer MINI Portugal WRC Team becomes the offical manufactuer entry. Meeke's contract was with Prodrive, not BMW, so I guess he's well and truly out of it. BMW reshuffles Mini rally assault From autocar.com Prodrive will no longer run Mini’s works World Rally Championship effort after parent company BMW reshuffled its rallying assault on Monday. Although the Prodrive-led Mini World Rally Team will continue to operate in the WRC, the reorganisation means that a different squad, WRC Team Mini Portugal, will now be the main focus of BMW’s efforts. Prodrive has prepared and run the Mini John Cooper Works WRC machines since the programme began last year. Although the Mini-Prodrive alliance enjoyed a strong start to the current WRC season, with Dani Sordo achieving second place in the Monte Carlo Rally, the two parties have been at loggerheads over several aspects of the programme, including funding. Before the start of the year, Prodrive was forced to sideline Sordo’s team-mate Kris Meeke so that it could make room for paying drivers to fill the second car on events. Last week the sports governing body, the FIA, accepted BMW’s request to enter a new two-car manufacturer team called WRC Team Mini Portugal into the WRC. WRC Team Mini Portugal – run by Motorsport Italia – will run a brace of John Cooper Works WRCs driven by Portugal’s Armindo Araújo/Miguel Ramalho and Brazil’s Paulo Nobre/Edu Paula on the remaining 12 WRC events. As a consequence of taking more control of the project, the BMW Group will carry out further homologation work for the Mini John Cooper Works WRC that will enable the car to be used in top-level rallying until the end of 2018. Prodrive will carry on building and running privateer Minis in the WRC and other championships, and will continue to work with the BMW Group on the further development of the car. The Mini World Rally Team, run by Prodrive, will continue as a works-supported privateer outfit. Prodrive loses status as Mini's factory World Rally team From Autosport.com Mini has confirmed that Prodrive's involvement with the Mini World Rally programme has been reduced to the status of a works-supported private team. The firm has agreed that the Motorsport Italia-run WRC Team Mini Portugal will contest the remaining 12 rounds, scoring points in the manufacturers' championship with Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre driving. Prodrive will retain responsibility for construction and support of Mini John Cooper Works WRC customer cars, while working with the BMW Group on the further development of the car, which made its WRC debut last year. The long-term homologation of the Mini has been underwritten until 2018. "I am delighted that the future of Mini in the WRC has been secured on a long-term basis," said Dr Kay Segler, Mini's senior vice-president of business coordination and brand management. "We remain convinced that the sport of rallying is perfectly suited to our brand. The situation we now find ourselves in means the Mini Motorsport family can, and will, continue to grow on the rally scene. With three podiums from just seven starts in the world championship, the Mini John Cooper Works WRC has already emphatically proven its potential. I am confident that our customer teams around the world will continue to thrill Mini fans with this car over the coming years. "The FIA was just as interested in the long-term presence of the Mini brand in the WRC as we were, and was actively involved in finding a constructive solution. We are grateful for the good cooperation and the understanding it has shown us." Segler then paid tribute to the work the Banbury-based Prodrive team had put in to turn the Countryman road car into a frontrunning World Rally Car. "With its great enthusiasm and hard work, the Prodrive team has played a major role in the remarkable sporting success we have achieved on our initial outings with the Mini John Cooper Works WRC," he said. "On behalf of Mini Motorsport, I would like to thank everyone at Prodrive for their efforts so far and we look forward to working with them in support of our Mini John Cooper Works WRC customers in the future."
What a total farce. The relatonship between BMW and Prodrive must be pretty bad when BMW gave 'Works Supported' status to Motorsport Italia. So will Prodrive release Kris from his contract? Sadly I really can't see him getting any seat time now.
kris isn't contracted to prodrive, he is contracted to mini he mentioned this at the COI launch last week
MINI MOTORSPORT TO FOLLOW NEW PATH IN THE FIA WRC After Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) finished second on the return of the brand to the legendary Monte Carlo Rally, the direction has now been set for a long-term MINI presence in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC): On Thursday 2 February, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) accepted a two-car manufacturer entry by WRC Team MINI Portugal into the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers. As a consequence MINI will complete the homologation for the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. The WRC Team MINI Portugal - consisting of Armindo Araújo (PT) and his co-driver Miguel Ramalho (PT), as well as Paulo Nobre (BR) and co-driver Edu Paula (BR) - will contest the remaining 12 events of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship. This long-term homologation ensures that the MINI John Cooper Works WRC can be used in the premier league of rallying, and other series in accordance with FIA regulations, up to and including 2018. The cooperation with Prodrive will be put on a new basis. Prodrive remains responsible for the construction and support of MINI John Cooper Works WRC customer vehicles, and will continue to work with the BMW Group on the further development of the car. The WRC Team, run by Prodrive, will from now on start as a works-supported private team. "I am delighted that the future of MINI in the WRC has been secured on a long-term basis," said Dr. Kay Segler, Senior Vice President MINI Business Coordination and Brand Management. "We remain convinced that the sport of rallying is perfectly suited to our brand. The situation we now find ourselves in means the MINI Motorsport family can, and will, continue to grow on the rally scene. With three podiums from just seven starts in the world championship, the MINI John Cooper Works WRC has already emphatically proven its potential. I am confident that our customer teams around the world will continue to thrill MINI fans with this car over the coming years. The FIA was just as interested in the long-term presence of the MINI brand in the WRC as we were, and was actively involved in finding a constructive solution. We are grateful for the good cooperation and the understanding it has shown us." Segler added: "With its great enthusiasm and hard work, the Prodrive team has played a major role in the remarkable sporting success we have achieved on our initial outings with the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. On behalf of MINI Motorsport, I would like to thank everyone at Prodrive for their efforts so far and we look forward to working with them in support of our MINI John Cooper Works WRC customers in the future."
So this effectively leaves Sordo out on his ear as well I presume? Whilst the new works team has Araujo and a Brazilian guy i've barely even heard of, run my motorsport italia . Its such a backward step, you'd wonder why they'd bother to have a works team at all imho.
BMW just don't want to spend money on the WRC. simple as. their main interest is in the DTM: beat Audi and Mercedes-Benz on a Sunday... sell cars on a Monday. I find it hard to like BMW.
Prodrive speak out and put a positive spin on it.... http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97371
Latest from Prodrive's facebook: Firstly apologies we seem to be having problems with our Facebook page recently as posts seem to keep disappearing or not go up at all. Hopefully this one won't. Dani Sordo is leading Rally Sweden tonight after the first stage. First time we have led a rally since France last year and he went on to finish second. Here's wishing....