Stefan Grand Prix

Stefan Grand Prix was founded by Serbian-born engineer and businessman Zoran Stefanović, with hopes of becoming Serbia's first Formula One team. Stefanović and Stefan Grand Prix had attempted to enter Formula One on two previous occasions;[1] once in 1996[2][3] and again one year later with an attempt to purchase the remains of Lola's abortive 1997 entry.[4]

In 2009, Formula One's governing body, the FIA, opened applications for new teams to join the 2010 grid. Applications from fifteen new teams were received, with three (Campos Meta (later to be renamed Hispania Racing), Manor Grand Prix (later to be renamed Virgin Racing) and Team USF1) being selected in July 2009 to join the existing ten teams for 2010. Stefan GP was one of the unsuccessful applicants.

The Formula One community was first made aware of Stefanović's ambitions after he filed a complaint with the European Commission, of a similar nature to one submitted by N.Technology.[5][6] Stefanović claimed that the entry selection process had been biased in favour of teams who had nominated to run the Cosworth engines that were being introduced for 2010. He claimed that the FIA had not simply shown bias against non-Cosworth teams, but also against teams which would be classified as manufacturers, citing that new teams Virgin Racing, Campos and USF1 had planned to outsource the design of their chassis to other firms and design studios, whereas Stefan Grand Prix had the support of Serbian company AMCO, and thus could build its own cars independently. This bias, he claimed, was supported by Prodrive's failure to make the grid; like Stefan, Prodrive would have the facilities to build its own chassis.[1] Stefanović also had the support of Mike Coughlan, the disgraced McLaren engineer. The team has released photographs showing Coughlan in its offices.[7]

In November 2009, Toyota officially backed out of the championship, following a manufacturer exodus led by Honda and BMW.[8] Despite initial plans not to sell the team on, Stefanović acquired the rights to use the team's chassis, gearbox and the 2010 spec engine. It also employed several former Toyota team members, then out of work after being made redundant by Toyota.[9] With the vacancy left by Toyota, the FIA moved to fill the thirteenth and final grid position, which was contested between Stefanović and Peter Sauber, after BMW sold the team back to him. Sauber was eventually accepted to the grid.[10] Stefanović was later reported as pursuing a 2010 grid position despite the thirteenth grid position having been awarded to Sauber.[11]

The team's Toyota-designed and built car was to have been designated the Stefan S-01 and its engine the Stefan RG-01, both of which would have been serviced by Toyota. On 2 February 2010, the team announced its intention to launch and test the car later that month, with Kazuki Nakajima as a driver. The S-01, liveried in national Serbian red, was fired up for the first time on 19 February.[30][31] The team had intended to launch and test its car on 25 February regardless of whether or not its application to the grid was successful,[32] and had been pushing for entry as a fourteenth team.[33] However, the team was unable to acquire tyres from official supplier Bridgestone, and so was forced to cancel its Portimão test and launch. The team later announced that it was planning to launch the car sometime in early March and to test it with Avon tyres rather than Bridgestones.

The team signed Kazuki Nakajima, whose career has been supported by Toyota, as its first driver. Stefanović also hoped to sign 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve and Pastor Maldonado as its reserve driver.[31] The collapse of the team ended these plans.

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