DECEMBER 15, 2007

Do you want to own your own Formula 1 car?

PF1 is a company that has been established to market and maintain post-2000 Formula 1 cars for wealthy racing enthusiasts and to bring the price of owning and maintaining recent F1 machinery down to the same sort of level as roadgoing supercars “ but with the additional benefit of greater exclusivity and less depreciation. The PF1 service is being provided by ex-Williams engineer Tim Preston and his team of mechanics and the PF1 owners have also taken on Marc Hynes to work as a personal coach for the buyers. The company is supported by Cosworth and former Cosworth F1 boss Bernard Ferguson has been taken on by PF1 in a consultancy role. PF1 has even had Martin Brundle up to drive some of the cars. PF1 has a fleet of recent Jordans, Jaguars and Super Aguris.

"Owning and running an F1 car has always been prohibitive for all but the super-rich “ until now," says Paul Osborn, one of the founders of PF1. "We™ll charge PF1 customers £300,000, plus £2500 for membership of Club PF1, which enables you to run your car at four events per year at places like Donington and Spa. Now, £300,000-odd isn™t a small sum - but when you consider that our customers will own their cars, complete with engines, and can of course sell them if they like, it starts to be a lot more affordable. And remember that £300,000 is only half the price of a Ferrari Enzo road car."

Brundle drove several cars at the launch of PF1 and said that PF1's pricing is "on a par with something like a Porsche Carrera GT, or an equivalent roadgoing supercar, and yet it™s so much more exclusive an experience. F1 has never been so affordable before."