F1: 5th new team emerges to enter Formula 1

–by Mark Cipolloni–

In my analysis of the teams applying to enter Formula, I reviewed 4 teams because they were the only ones I was aware of.

However, now a 5th team has emerged.

The tiny town of Waiau, in Hurunui New Zealand, might seem a world away from the F1 circuits in Silverstone, Monza and Monaco but Aussie computer magnate David Dicker has registered his interest with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to enter a team, as reported in The Press.

Dicker, 69, is the founder of Rodin Cars. He bought the controlling interest in British race team Carlin earlier this year, and Carlin would run the F1 team under the Rodin Carlin name.

“Everyone wants to go to Formula One because it’s the ultimate in motor racing. All the other series pale into insignificance by comparison,” he said.

Dicker’s Australian company has revenues of $3 billion per year.

He announced the Rodin Carlin F1 bid from his new engineering plant in the middle of Waiau farmland overlooked by Mt Lyford on Tuesday.

His operation includes a 5km racetrack and a factory packed with sophisticated lathes, cutting machines and 3D printers.

If successful in his F1 bid, Dicker has lined up promising young drivers Jamie Chadwick and Louis Sharp to drive for the potential team.

I rate their chances of being approved as 1% if they base the team in New Zealand – it is simply too far away and the factory below looks like it could double as a Farm facility, not an F1 team.

“I can’t imagine they (F1) will let us in, I’ll be honest with you,” said Dicker.

“They’ll think the whole thing is crazy. ‘Got these dudes in the backside of the world blah, blah, blah’. And I’m just waiting for the excuse for why they won’t let us in.

However, if the team is based out of Carlin’s facilities in the United Kingdom, that changes a lot of things.

Farnham, England based team Carlin has been a force in junior motorsport since the team’s inception in 1999. Race programs in championships such as F4, F3, F2, Indy Lights, INDYCAR, ELMS and Asian Le Man Series to name a few have seen the team claim over 470 race victories, 30 championship titles and helped promote over 30 drivers to F1 during the team’s history.

While focusing on the FIA ladder of F4 British Championship, FIA F3 and FIA F2 along with the British GB3 Championship, Rodin Carlin in 2023, the team’s experience in motorsports certainly makes them a strong applicant to become the 11th or 12th F1 team.

“It’s a crazy scheme but f… it, we are going to do it anyway. From my point of view it’s just a game. There is an opportunity there and we are going to give it a shot,” continued Dicker.

He is confident his plant has the capability to manufacture an F1 car.

“We want to build our own power unit. We have got everything we need to do it here in this shed,” Dicker said, pointing to a factory, half a rugby pitch in size, packed with sophisticated lathes, cutting machines and 3D printers.”

“Some of the design work will be done in Britain but we will make the car here. It doesn’t make any difference where you do the manufacturing. The F1 guys race all around the world.”