Spyker F1

Spyker

Full name	Spyker F1 Team
Base	Silverstone, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
Noted drivers	Adrian Sutil Christijan Albers Markus Winkelhock Sakon Yamamoto
Formula One World Championship career
Engines	Ferrari
Debut	2007 Australian Grand Prix
Races competed	17
Race victories	0
Podiums	0
Points	1 (2007 Japanese Grand Prix)
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
Final race	2007 Brazilian Grand Prix

The Spyker F1 Team was a Formula One team owned by Spyker, a Dutch car brand. It existed only in 2007. The team was bought from Midland in 2006 and was sold to become Force India later on in 2007.

History

2006

The 2006 Midland F1 car running in orange, as it had been bought by Spyker.

In 2006, during the 2006 Formula One season, it was announced that Spyker had bought the struggling Midland F1 team. Every race that was left would be raced under the Spyker name and the livery would be changed to orange, because that's the national colour of the Netherlands.

2007

In the 2007 season, the team was fully in the hands of Spyker. However, to the public, the team did not perform better than Midland. It was known as a backmarker, a team that almost always finds itself at the back of the grid.

Firing of Albers

On the tenth of July it was announced that the only Dutch driver with Spyker, Christijan Albers, would be fired because his sponsors failed to pay the Spyker F1 team. He would be replaced by Winkelhock and, later on, Yamamoto.

2007 European Grand Prix

During the 2007 European Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring, Markus WInkelhock found himself leading the field in his only race for Spyker and in F1. This was because he was the only driver to make a pitstop before the race started. It was a rainy day and the team decided on wet tyres, as they work better in the rain than other compounds. This move put him in last, but many people in front of him either spun off or decided to get wet tyres for themselves. Suddenly, after passing the man in front, he was leading the race. At the height of his triumphant drive, he was 33 seconds in front of the driver in second. However, this wouldn't last long. Because of a series of crashes caused by the rain, the race was red-flagged. After the race restart, he was quickly overtaken by the faster cars behind him. He later on retired because of a hydraulics issue.

Spyker F1 Sold

At the end of 2007, Spyker F1 was sold to an Indian holding company called Orange India Holdings. This was officially the end for Spyker in Formula One. The team turned into Force India for the start of 2008.

Formula One Results

2007

Year	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
2007	F8-VII F8-VIIB	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	B		AUS	MAL	BHR	ESP	MON	CAN	USA	FRA	GBR	EUR	HUN	TUR	ITA	BEL	JPN	CHN	BRA	1	10th
				Adrian Sutil	17	Ret	15	13	Ret	Ret	14	17	Ret	Ret	17	21†	19	14	8	Ret	Ret
				Christijan Albers	Ret	Ret	14	14	19†	Ret	15	Ret	15
				Markus Winkelhock										Ret
				Sakon Yamamoto											Ret	20	20	17	12	17	Ret
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