Fast company
By admin • Jun 30th, 2008The cost of entering Formula One, even the way you did, with already existing support – how is that justified in terms of what you as a company are getting out of it?
Well, if you look at it short term, from any company’s point of view, there’s no justification. Long term there is definitely a justification. Number one, you try to build a team. We’re building one almost from scratch, and we should have a new car out in July. We’ve got Ferrari engines, and with the new car, that should help us improve our standing and get placements. The better your standings and placements the more money you get from TV rights, etcetera, plus you attract more sponsors.
Plus, in the long run, when we bought this company we made it clear that it has to be standalone. It has to generate enough revenue to keep itself going, through sponsorships. At the beginning, it’s a little painful, but we’re passing that stage slowly. It’s long term. I can’t tell you that next year we’re going to be placed, but I can tell you that in five years’ time we should be in good standing.
At what level in the placements do you have to be for this to be economically viable? If you’re ninth out of 12th, say, is that going to be enough to justify investment?
Well, it depends. Ninth out of 12th is not bad for someone who’s just started. But in five years’ time I’d be expecting to do better than that. I don’t want to put numbers, but edging toward a better position than that.
What’s the plan, then? When does competition start in earnest?
Well, the car raced under the Spyker name for the last three races of 2006. Then they started in Australia, in the first race of the year, as Spyker, as we wanted it to be. So 2007 will be our first proper season.
Where does your personal involvement come from? Does this come from a love of cars, a love of Formula One?
I’ve always been interested in Formula One and cars, but the reason we invested in this company, in Spyker, is because we believe in it, and we believe this company can go very far. Of course, you’ve seen many small manufacturers fall by the wayside, but we think this company has something special to offer, and we can see this from our figures – the turnover, the backlog in orders, stuff like that. It’s been moving quite nicely, the curve is heading up. Nice and steady.
So how fast have you been growing?
Well, I’d say we’ve grown quite fast as of last year. The year before, 2005, we produced about 40 or 48 cars. Last year we reached 94, if I believe right, and we expect to produce between 160 and 180 cars this year.
What’s your target in five years?
I’d say probably over 500 cars a year.
Who would you be competing with at the 500 stage?
I wouldn’t say we’re competing. People who own a Spyker probably already own a Ferrari, a Lamborghini and a Porsche. So I would say Spyker is the sixth or seventh car in a stable. But if you want to put us in competition, our rivals would be Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. That sort of thing.
