The FIA is understood to have finally granted an entry to the Romanian-backed FRR F1 Team project, although no official announcement has been forthcoming.
The FIA’s last public reference to the bid came on April 11, when the World Motor Sport Council granted an entry to Gene Haas but said it was “in the process of conducting further investigations for Forza Rossa,” using the name that forms part of the official FRR identity.
For reasons unknown this extra vetting process dragged on for more than six weeks. However, the governing body appears to have finally acknowledged last week that the project is financially viable.
While Haas has admitted that a 2015 start is highly unlikely FRR is believed to still be aiming for next year, despite the entry delay making life a lot tougher than it would be had it been granted alongside that of Haas on April 11.
However, FRR has a lot more elements in place compared to Haas. It is planning to use a Renault power unit, while the car will be built and run by a team put together by former Force India and HRT boss Colin Kolles at his base near Munich.
Front man for the project is Ion Bazac, a qualified doctor and former Romanian health minister. The 45-year-old has a number of business interests and is the country’s Ferrari importer, under the name Forza Rossa.
Bazac is also the president a consortium of private and state funded investors whose motive is to promote the interests of Romania, and who have the support of the government. Indeed, the Romanian sports minister met with the FIA early in the bid process.
Adam Cooper F1 
From personal experience: Forza Rossa are top blokes.
Good luck!
Seems that a Ferrari powerplant would be more logical.
He is importer of Ferrari, the name of the team is Forza Rossa, and it wil use Renault engines?
Forgive my cynicism, as I genuinely want to see some new additions to the grid, new blood improves the breed…………..but I will wait until Hass and Kolles put some cars on the grid in 2015/16. I have seen this story too many times before.
I just can’t figure out why Colin Kolles is an asset to the team
He’s done a lot of work with team start ups. But I suppose the bottom line is the answer; 1) he’s the most experienced individual they could get for the money, 2) he’s available, and 3) is willing to take on a job that is essentially a step down for most people who are currently employed in key management positions in Formula 1.
“It is planning to use a Renault power unit” surely you mean Ferrari? Hooking up with Renault wouldn’t make a lot of sense because of the Ferrari import connections, right?
Hope they can get onto the grid in 2015 or 2016.. Young Romanian drivers like Robert Visoiu in GP3 must be looking at this team with great interest…
Robert Visoiu, Mihai Marinescu, top Romanian racing drivers. These are guys that raced together with former/current F1 Drivers such as Alguersuari or Kvyat. A eastern european team was indeed needed, it’s good it’s Romania!
I always worry about teams that are planning on going from zero to being on the grid in less than a year, it has been attempted too many times in recent memory and the consequences have not been good. Rushing a Formula One entry seems to leave a team permanently hamstrung, caught up in the vicious circle of needing better results to improve their fiscal circumstances, yet not being able to do so because of their fiscal circumstances. I wish them well, yet I can’t help but think that Haas is taking the wiser course in aiming for the 2016 season. Haas on the other hand is starting from nothing, and some of the central locations for his team are questionable, perhaps it will prove out in time, but there is the other worry about start up teams, and that is when they presume to conduct their business in a different place or in a different way than all of the other teams. Even with the boatloads of cash Toyota was able to bring to bear, the management and location of their F-1 was a hindrance. Never quite understood why a start up team would base themselves anywhere but where most of the F-1 technical talent can be found and may readily migrate to your team-Britain. Sure, a Principal, or a Technical director might be willing to make the move to Germany, Spain or the U.S. but what about the hundreds of others? Why hinder yourself in that way?