 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport Advanced Technology |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Banbury,England |
Key people | David Richards(founder and chairman) |
| Website | Prodrive.com |
Prodrive is anEnglishmotorsport and advanced engineering group based inBanbury,Oxfordshire. The company has had significant success running motorsport programmes for various automobile manufacturers, including wins at the24 Hours of Le Mans and championship wins in theWorld Endurance Championship,World Rally Championship andBritish Touring Car Championship.
Prodrive was founded in 1984 by Ian Parry andDavid Richards.[1] The company initially ranPorsche 911rally andPorsche 959rally raid cars.[1][2]
Prodrive ran theBritish American Racing team between 2002 and 2004, finishing 2nd overall in the constructors championship in2004.[1][3]
On 28 April 2006, Prodrive were officially granted entry toF1 when theFIA announced the list of entrants to the2008 Formula One World Championship.[4] It was announced on 23 November 2007 that Prodrive F1 would not compete in the2008, as the legal situation left no time for the team to be set up for the start of the season.[5]
On 23 April 2009, Prodrive issued a press release stating that they were considering an F1 entry for the2010 season, possibly under theAston Martin Racing brand.[6][7] On 29 May 2009, it was reported that Prodrive had submitted a formal application for the 2010 season. However, Prodrive was not accepted to the final grid. Prodrive was one of two potential buyers considered by theRenault F1 Team to take-over the team prior to the 2010 season.[8] In April 2010 Prodrive announced it would not apply for the 2011 Formula One season. The slot became available afterUS F1 Team collapsed.[9]
In 2001, Prodrive developed and built theFerrari 550 GTS to compete in theGT1 category, without any support from theFerrari factory.[10] Ten cars were built over 4 years, run by both Prodrive and private customers. A Prodrive-run car won the GTS class at the2003 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a BMS Scuderia Italia-run car won the FIA GT Championship in both2003 and2004.[2][11]
In 2004,Aston Martin Racing was established as partnership between Prodrive andAston Martin, to return the brand tosports car racing.[12] The team enjoyed continued success at the24 Hours of Le Mans, with theAston Martin DBR9 finishing 1st in class in2007 and2008, theAston Martin Vantage GTE finishing 1st in class in2014 and2017, and theAston Martin Vantage GTE finishing 1st in class in2020. Despite Aston Martin Racing ending its race programme in 2020, Prodrive continues to build and maintain a variety of Aston Martin cars available to customer teams – over 500 have been built.[12]
Prodrive ran theSubaru World Rally Team between 1989 and 2008, competing at the top of theWorld Rally Championship for over a decade.[13][12] Subaru won the manufacturers' championship three times in1995,1996, and1997, and the drivers' championship three times, in1995,2001, and2003. ItsImprezaWRC model won a record 46 rallies.[14] Subaru withdrew from WRC competition at the end of the2008 season due to the2008 financial crisis.[15]
In 2010,Mini announced plans to enter the World Rally Championship, with a Countryman WRC designed, built and ran by Prodrive.[16] The team competed in a reduced programme during the 2011 season, before BMW cut funding and withdrawing at the end of 2012.[17][11]
Prodrive developed and rantouring cars for several different manufacturers, including forBMW,Alfa Romeo,Honda andFord in theBritish Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in the 1990s and early 2000s.[1] Prodrive won the1988,1991 and1992 BTCC seasons with BMW and the2000 BTCC season with Ford.[2][11]
Prodrive also ran Ford's in theV8 Supercars category in Australia, having purchasedGlenn Seton Racing in 2002.[1] The team was sold in 2013.[18]
Between 2020 and 2023, Prodrive developed the Prodrive BRX Hunter rally raid car, running the car using theBahrain Raid Xtreme team – a joint venture with Bahrain's sovereign wealth fundMumtalakat Holding Company.[12] The team's best result at theDakar Rally was 2nd overall in both 2022 and 2023.[19][20]
Prodrive had a facility at the formerRAF Honiley airfield andLucasVarity proving ground nearWroxall, Warwickshire, together withMarcos andTRW.[21]
In March 2006, Prodrive announced its intent to build a £200million, 200-acre (0.8 km2) motorsport facility called "The Fulcrum".[22][23]
As of 3 August 2006, Prodrive has won the support of theWarwick District Council planning committee for development of The Fulcrum.[24] The permission covers a highly advanced engineering research and development campus, a conference facility called theCatalyst Centre and new access road, a roundabout, infrastructure, parking and landscaping. The plans still have to be presented and agreed by the British government'sDepartment for Communities and Local Government. There is local opposition against Prodrive's plans via the Fulcrum Prodrive Action Group (FPAG) to protect the rural nature of the community and the safety of the people that live within it.[21]
In 2014 the site was sold toJaguar Land Rover.[citation needed]
