BAR desperate for cash?

[Super Tourer]

A recent article in a new F1 magazine went into some interesting figures about finances.

It seems that BAR are allegedly so in debt that BAT (their sponsor) has to guarantee their overdraft and loans to the bank. Apparantly their over spend and debts since entering F1 are an all time record.

BAT have had to put ex UK chancellor Kenneth Clarke in as chairman of BAR to try and bring some financial credibity to the situation.

On top of all this they have scored no points in two races and with JV chucking it away again, surely its only a matter of time before the suits at BAT start asking why their highly paid No1 driver can't finish races and score points - as points mean free travel and other benefits at the years end.

Expect JV and BAR to part company at the end of 2001 - my prediction.

[RT]

BAR seems to be the NASDAQ of F1. Overrated, overinvested and with a valuation/expectations totally out of line with real performance. I'd also expect it to go down.

Go EJ!!

[Mania]

Originally posted by Super Tourer

On top of all this they have scored no points in two races and with JV chucking it away again, surely its only a matter of time before the suits at BAT start asking why their highly paid No1 driver can't finish races and score points - as points mean free travel and other benefits at the years end.

Expect JV and BAR to part company at the end of 2001 - my prediction.

Villernerve certainly has'nt done anything special since he left Williams. But I dount whether he'll leave BAR. First of all, Pollock and Villernerve are more than buddies...Id say they`re close to brothers! Secondly, the only other team that Villernerve would want to drive for is Ferrari.
He's made a couple of noises here and there about it, but until Michael is there, Villernerve is likely to stay away. My guess is he's biding his team at BAR till he gets a chance for a seat at Ferrari. Thats what he wants. Whether he and Ferrari are on the same wave length..remains to be seen.

That said, there's no doubt that Villernerve needs to start putting in some solid drives if he wants to maintain any value with the top teams in the future.

[gp19]

As the season is at its second race BAR have no points and Honda will start giving there best engineering to the better team. I think Honda will start to give more support to Jordan.
Craig Pollock ((An extremely disappointing race for the team. We will put this one behind us and look to improve in Brazil)). He said the same thing 2 week ago, Come on Mr. Pollock less bragging more action.

Jacques Villeneuve((I started to slide into the gravel trap. I am disappointed but when the weather changes like that it's a big gamble and it really didn't work out today.))Stop giving excuse and start driving more like the Pro your suppose to be .

Olivier Panis: Sorry for the oil line that broke. However, Look for yellow flags, and stop speeding in the pit. And more on the racetrack.

All of the Bar team have a lot of give But they need a Boss who s going to be a leader and the more I look at it, Mr. Pollock is not that leader.

Have a SSSSSSSSSuper day GP19

[Liz]

"...and Mr. Pollock is not that leader."

Duh.

Jacques will not drive for Ferrari and spend the rest of his career being relentlessly compared to his father by the Italian press, to whom his father was a God.

Jacques will retire at the end of 2001 season, and Pollock and he will concentrate on the restaurant they are opening in Montreal, where "Son of Gilles" as a Canadian racing magazine invariably calls him, still has his father's cachet . Jacques has done all he can. I am sure he will keep on trying.

[Run Free]

Originally posted by Super Tourer
surely its only a matter of time before the suits at BAT start asking why their highly paid No1 driver can't finish races and score points

Only bad luck, on the contrary TGF had a big stroke of luck, notably today.
Don't forget that a certain Hakkinen as 1 point more than Jacques, and he is more payed than Villeneuve and has a McLaren under his back, so what's the problem? Relax a bit :-)

Regarding BAR financial difficulties, sincerely I don't know if that's true, I didn't read anything here.

[Jay]

I wouldn't critisize Jacques for going off on that corner in Malaysia. The three cars directly behind him went off in exactly the same way. Obviously the track was impossible there on dry tires.

Wait until the season is at least half over, and we know where BAR really stands. Then we can discuss it. Right now, many of you guys are just beating on a driver that you don't like.

[SL]

British American Tobacco short of cash !!!!!!


Please, their petty cash box has more in it than Minardi's annual budget.

Simon

[AndyFranks]

I think BAT may pull out or maybe look at reducing there contribution after this year. Expectations were high and they have never come good. Its probably time to change the drivers or managment.

[Liz]

British American Tobacco is not the same thing as British American Racing.

And I agree with Jay - two races don't make a season - but it is also true that BAR have overdrawn their budget every year they've been in business. How many carbon fibre toilet seats does one team need after all?