Brabham family take legal advice over team


The family of triple Formula One world champion Jack Brabham said they were taking legal advice on Thursday after a German businessman applied to enter next year's championship as Brabham Grand Prix.

"The family would like to make it clear that they are in no way involved with Brabham Grand Prix Limited and received no consultation regarding the company's plans to resurrect their historic name in Formula One," they said in a statement.

"The family is taking legal advice and will take necessary steps to protect their name, reputation and its goodwill," it added on David Brabham's official website (www.davidbrabham.com).

Businessman Franz Hilmer, whose Formtech machining company last year bought the assets of the failed Super Aguri team, has applied to enter in 2010 with a budget capped team.

Mark Preston, former technical director at Super Aguri, would continue in that role with the team using the same Leafield facility in central England as the Japanese outfit which collapsed before last year's Turkish Grand Prix.

"The Brabham Grand Prix team has the pleasure to announce its application as a 'Cost Cap Formula One Team' for the FIA 2010 Formula One World Championship," their statement said.

"We appreciate the FIA rules for cost capped F1 teams and are convinced that the budget limitation is a contemporary obligation, and will effect a revitalisation of the Formula One World Championship."

FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

Brabham Grand Prix said major investors and sponsors had already given financial commitments for the 2010-12 seasons and were prepared to free the money subject to the governing body's decision.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) is due to announce the 2010 entry list on June 12.

Nine of the 10 current teams have entered provisionally, subject to the 2010 rules remaining the same as this year and without a budget cap.

Williams have entered unconditionally while another 10 would-be entrants, including familiar names such as Lola and March, have submitted applications. The FIA has said there is room for 13 teams in total.

The original Brabham team was founded by Jack Brabham in 1962 and won 35 races before folding in 1992. Brabham, now 83 and the oldest surviving Formula One world champion, won the title in 1959, 1960 and 1966.

His team was sold to Bernie Ecclestone, now Formula One supremo, in 1972 and the Briton ran it until 1988 when it was sold to the Japanese Middlebridge group.

Britain's Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion with Williams, made his debut with the team in their final 1992 season.