The boss of wannabe F1 squad Stefan GP has confirmed that his team pulled out of the running for the 13th grid slot for 2011 back in August, blaming the time that the FIA took over making a decision for their withdrawal.
The Serbian squad had originally tried to enter the sport in 2010, planning to run the 2010 Toyota design and signing former Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima to drive for them.
But despite a grid slot becoming available when USF1 withdrew from the 2010 season, the FIA did not accept their offer to make up the numbers, instead opening up the 13th spot for new bids for 2011.
Stefan GP were originally one of those bidders, but crazy team boss Zoran Stefanovic told F1Pulse.com this week that the team had withdrawn their bid before the FIA made their final decision.
It would now seem certain that only Epsilon Euskadi and the Durango/Villeneuve partnership remained in the running to the very end. The FIA announced earlier this month that no bid had been successful and the 13th slot would remain vacant for next season.
"We pulled out of the process in August so we were not considered after that," Stefanovic confirmed this week.
"We had applied at the beginning but we found out that the process was too long and it didn’t give us assurances on the time when someone will be chosen as the 13th team."
The FIA had originally planned to make a decision on the identity of the 13th team in July, but extra processes involved in their due diligence procedures saw the decision-making process drag on.
Stefanovic explained that there simply wouldn't have been enough time to design a car for 2011 by the time the final decision was made.
"That would have meant that we wait until September but then it would be too late to go in and design a car for next year," he mourned.
"That's the reason why we pulled out of it and after we were not considered, by my knowledge, just two teams remained but both of them were found unsatisfactory as per the FIA explanation."
He added: "We think it should be faster and we think it's necessary to have a 13th team. But we'll see. That’s the decision of the FIA."
Despite Stefanovic's grouching that there was not enough time to plan a car, it is worth noting that Epsilon Euskadi had already begun wind-tunnel testing with a scale model of their 2011 car before the announcement was made.
Furthermore, Lotus only secured their place on the grid in September last year and have been the most competitive of the 2010 newcomers.
Stefanovic, meanwhile, also confirmed that he had no plans to buy in to an existing team, as both Epsilon Euskadi and Villeneuve/Durango are planning to do.
"At the moment we are not doing that thing specifically," he admitted, "We will see in the future what we can do."
Earlier this week, the Durango spokesman Giuseppe Dorigo confirmed to French radio that their team, with Jacques Villeneuve, were targeting an existing team for a buy-in bid.
"The only way to enter F1 in 2011 is to buy an existing team," he confirmed, "And as planned we will do it together with Jacques Villeneuve."
He added: "Yes, we believe it's worth it. Our only goal now is to be on the starting grid next year."
Reports have suggested that HRT and Virgin are their most likely targets.
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