In 2014, Formula One is set to switch from the 2.4L V8 engines to turbo-charged 1.6L V6, and Craig Pollock's new company, Propulsion Universelle et Récupération d'Énergie (PURE), is set to enter F1 as an engine manufacturer. They are already actively working on the development of the said new power-plant, and seeking two customers ahead of the 2014 season.
"The minimum [of customers] is two," Pollock said to GPUpdate.net. "There's no question about it. A minimum of two teams and two good teams, if possible."
As the rule change approaches, PURE – the new kid on the block – is being taken more and more seriously. They certainly want to show they mean business.
"The people working in the company are not new, they are veterans in the field of Formula 1 engine supply […]. Things are keeping up and I think people are now taking the situation little bit more seriously than they were taking it before."
PURE's relatively small-scale operations give them an independent edge over other teams, who share ties with a big corporate company. The sudden pull-out of Peugeot from the sport is a good example. PURE, which is also a French company, wants to take advantage of such a situation.
"With these very large companies, a board decision or a directors' meeting can create a negative decision on future supply - and it can happen from one second to the next […]. So nobody knows who is going to be there in the future, apart from Ferrari who I believe are always in for the long haul, but with the other players nobody can guarantee it.
"We have been anywhere between 22 to 50 design engineers. Now we are looking for our own design and development offices. […] We have already decided that we will be basing part of our team out of Cologne and using the Toyota Formula 1 test benches because they are the best in the world, there’s just no question about it.
"On the other hand, there has been the news of Peugeot pulling out [and] there are now obviously lot of people in the Paris area who are out of a job. Everything in that area is good, such as transport connections, so it looks like everything is falling into place and to our benefit."
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| Craige Pollock and Jacques Villeneuve in 2006, when they where friends (Photo: Silverstone.co.uk) |
"The minimum [of customers] is two," Pollock said to GPUpdate.net. "There's no question about it. A minimum of two teams and two good teams, if possible."
As the rule change approaches, PURE – the new kid on the block – is being taken more and more seriously. They certainly want to show they mean business.
"The people working in the company are not new, they are veterans in the field of Formula 1 engine supply […]. Things are keeping up and I think people are now taking the situation little bit more seriously than they were taking it before."
PURE's relatively small-scale operations give them an independent edge over other teams, who share ties with a big corporate company. The sudden pull-out of Peugeot from the sport is a good example. PURE, which is also a French company, wants to take advantage of such a situation.
"With these very large companies, a board decision or a directors' meeting can create a negative decision on future supply - and it can happen from one second to the next […]. So nobody knows who is going to be there in the future, apart from Ferrari who I believe are always in for the long haul, but with the other players nobody can guarantee it.
"We have been anywhere between 22 to 50 design engineers. Now we are looking for our own design and development offices. […] We have already decided that we will be basing part of our team out of Cologne and using the Toyota Formula 1 test benches because they are the best in the world, there’s just no question about it.
"On the other hand, there has been the news of Peugeot pulling out [and] there are now obviously lot of people in the Paris area who are out of a job. Everything in that area is good, such as transport connections, so it looks like everything is falling into place and to our benefit."
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| Peugeot's former Vélizy workshop – PURE's new home? (Photo: Peugeot-Sport.com) |