Asiatech

Asiatech engined Minardi of Mark Webber at the 2002 French Grand Prix.

Asiatech was the trade name of Asia Motor Technologies France, a company founded in 2000 by Japanese private capital under the leadership of Dr. John Gano and Enrique Scalabroni, which purchased the assets of the Peugeot Formula One programme at the end of the 2000 season. Its mandate was to acquire top-level European engine technology for Asia and to create an Asian-themed F1 team. It increased staffing from 170 to 221 employees, supplied its engines in development for testing at no cost to minor teams in 2001 and 2002, and had designed and presented the wind-tunnel model of its original F1 chassis when its Japanese private funding failed in 2002. Asiatech returned the staff and facilities it has acquired back to Peugeot and wound down at the end of the 2002 season.[1]

Overview

In 2001, Asiatech supplied their V10 engines to the Arrows Formula One team free of charge. For 2002 it tried for better results with Minardi. In that year, Arrows, that rented Cosworth engines, ran out of funding in mid-season 2002 and was liquidated.[2] [3] In that 2002 season, Asiatech´s engine reliability increased to finish in fourth place out of the 9 F1 engine suppliers, tied with BMW for reliability. Four out of the Minardi team’s 14 retirements during the season were engine-related.[4]

During this season, Asiatech began considering the possibility of starting their own Formula One team, and purchased a former Williams design office in Didcot. They also enlisted the help of Enrique Scalabroni, who designed a prototype F1 car. The car was to be firstly a testbed for Asiatech engines, then subsequently entered in the 2004 season.[5] However, Asiatech folded at the end of the 2002 season.[6]

In May 2002, there were reports that for the 2003 season Asiatech could supply Jordan with engines, or even buy the team out. These came after Honda decided to concentrate their engine efforts on the BAR team, and announced they would be withdrawing supply from Eddie Jordan's team at the end of the 2002 season.[7] When its Japanese private funding was cut off during the 2002 season, it announced its winding down on November 3, 2002, with staff returning to Peugeot or moving on to Renault and other F1 engine programs. In February 2003, the assets of the Asiatech engine company were sold in an auction in Paris, overseen by Jacques Martin and Gilles Chausselat. Included in the Auction were 18 engines, a dyno, a variety of machine tools, plus electronic measuring equipment amongst other things.[8]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC
2001 Orange Arrows Asiatech Arrows A22 001 3.0 V10 B AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN 1 10th
Netherlands Jos Verstappen 10 7 Ret Ret 12 6 8 10 Ret 13 10 9 12 10 Ret Ret 15
Brazil Enrique Bernoldi Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret 14 8 Ret 12 Ret 13 14
2002 KL Minardi Asiatech Minardi PS02 AT02 3.0 V10 M AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR GBR FRA GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN 2 9th
Malaysia Alex Yoong 7 Ret 13 DNQ WD Ret Ret 14 Ret DNQ 10 DNQ 13 Ret Ret
United Kingdom Anthony Davidson Ret Ret
Australia Mark Webber 5 Ret 11 11 WD 12 11 11 15 Ret 8 Ret 16 Ret Ret Ret 10

Anecdote

Before the official name "Asiatech", purchasers of Peugeot Sport F1 were only known under the name Asia Motor Technologies, or AMT. In the video game Formula One 2001, used name of F1 team Arrows's engine is "AMT", and not Asiatech.

References

  1. ↑ Formula 1 Magazine, June 2001, pp. 146 – 149
  2. ↑ Asiatech Engines www.grandprix.com Retrieved 2 November 2007.
  3. ↑ Asiatech engines Broken Arrows are Wound up, news.bbc.co.uk, Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  4. ↑ F1 FIA official race statistics, Asiatech statistical analysis
  5. ↑ Never Raced F1 Cars Retrieved 4 November 2007.
  6. ↑ Engines By Asiatech www.grandprix.com Retrieved 2 November 2007.
  7. ↑ Jordan set to lose Honda deal Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  8. ↑ Want To Buy A Third Hand Engine Company? Retrieved 4 November 2007.
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