MARCH 20, 2020

New F1 team Panthera pushing on with plans

Even amid the coronavirus crisis, a new Formula 1 team project is pressing on.

Even amid the coronavirus crisis, a new Formula 1 team project is pressing on.

Last September, it emerged that a prospective new outfit called Panthera Team Asia had set up camp near Silverstone.

Co-founder Benjamin Durand said then: "Our goal is Formula 1 in 2021."

And even now, Durand says the project is "moving forward".

"Our project is still moving forward but it is too early for us to make any statement," he told the Portuguese publication Autosport.pt.

"We are still in discussion with all the parties involved such as the FIA and F1.

"We have also initiated talks with several engine suppliers who might be additionally willing to provide certain elements of the car but no formal agreement has been signed yet," added Durand.

However, he admits that Panthera may not be able to get onto the grid for 2021.

"The maiden season will be determined by the timeframe we will have to get an entry, so all options are been studied right now," said Durand.

(GMM)