Illustrative reconstruction of the proposed Ekström Grand Prix chassis layout. (AI-generated model)
We continue our journey through the stories of the past, exploring forgotten teams, ambitious projects, drivers, and other fascinating chapters from motorsport history. Our next topic is the Ekström Grand Prix F1 project, an ambitious attempt to reach Formula One that ultimately never raced.
The Swiss-based operation appeared in Formula 3000 during 1985 and soon set its sights much higher, the plan was to move into F1 for the 1986, with a new car, a turbocharged engine and an experienced driver already associated with the project, on paper, Ekström Grand Prix had the ingredients of a genuine F1 entry, but in reality, the project never progressed far enough to produced a finished F1 car!
From Switzerland to the Formula 3000 Grid
Ekström Grand Prix was established around Cecilia Ekström and her partner and driver George Paulin, although the operation was based in Ilanz, Switzerland, it initially competed under a Swedish licence, the team made its first serious appearance in international single-seater racing in the 1985 European Formula 3000 Championship, it entered a March 85B chassis, but its participation was extremely limited, with the team taking part in only two races.
Formula 3000 was an important stepping stone for teams and drivers hoping to reach F1, but Ekström ‘s ambitions quickly went beyond the category, rather than gradually building experience in Formula 3000, the team began preparing for something considerably more difficult, becoming F1 constructor, that decision would prove to be enormously challenging!
The Ambitious 1986 Formula One Plan
During 1985, Ekström Grand Prix announced plans to enter the 1986 F1 championship, the project was reportedly targeting the San Marino GP at Imola for its debut, rather than attempting to appear at the opening round of the championship, Mauro Baldi was associated with the proposed entry as the driver.
For a small operation with limited Formula 3000 experience, entering F1 was an enormous undertaking, the mid-1980s were also an especially difficult period for new teams.
Turbocharged engines had transformed the technical and financial landscape of F1, the leading manufacturers were investing heavily in engine development, while established teams were already operating with considerable resources.
A newcomer therefore needed much more than an entry application, it needed money, engineers, facilities, suppliers, an engine, a chassis and enough time to make everything work together, Ekström had some of those pieces in place, but far from all of them!
The Ekström GP86-01
The proposed F1 machine was designated the GP86-01, the chassis project was associated with designer Christian Vanderpleyn, who was involved in developing the proposed car.
The intentionw as to create a dedicated Ekström F1 car rather than simply enter F1 with an existing package.
That ambition, however, created another major problem, designing an F1 car is one thing, building it is another!
The GP86-01 never reached the manufacturing stage, drawings and plans could exist, but without the financial resources to turn those plans into carbon fibre, metal and mechanical components, the project couldn’t become a racing car.
There was therefore a strange situation surrounding Ekström’s proposed F1 entry, the team could discuss its car, driver and engine plans, but it didn’t have an actual F1 machine ready to take to the circuit.
The Motori Moderni Connection
One of the most interesting parts of the Ekström story was its planned engine supply, after difficulties finding suitable arrangements with larger manufacturers, the team secured access to a Motori Moderni V6 turbo engine.
For an independent team such as Ekström, securing a turbo engine was an important step toward making the project possible, but an engine argreement alone couldn’t solve the team’s problem.
The engine still needed a chassis, gearbox, cooling system, electronics, suspension and countless other components, more importantly, all of those parts required money!
Another What-IF Story: Rondel-Cosworth RJ42: From Failed F1 Dream to Token RJ02
The Search for an Existing F1 Chassis
The difficulties involved in producing a new car appear to have encouraged Cecilia Ekström to explore another route, not to build everything from scratch, the team looked at the possibility of acquiring an existing F1 operation or chassis.
Among the projects reportedly considered were RAM Racing and the Haas Lola operation associated with Carl Haas, for a new team, purchasing an existing chassis could have dramatically reduced the amount of work required before entering the championship, it would potentially provide access to an established design, equipment and infrastructure rather than forcing a newcomer to start entirely from zero, but those attempts didn’t succeed.
Money Became the Biggest Problem
The greatest obstacle wasn’t the lack of ambition, it was funding, Ekström Grand Prix’s F1 plans depended heavily on sponsorship and outside financial support.
The team expected commercial backing to help transform the project from an idea into a functioning F1 operation, those anticipated deals failed to materialize.
Without the expected sponsorship money, the financial situation became increasingly difficult, a F1 team cannot operate for long simply on promises of future funding. As the money disappeared, so did the team’s ability to continue developing its project.
Similar Story Riviera-Cosworth: The Italian F1 Dream That Never Reached the Grid
The Car That Never Existed
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Ekström Grand Prix story is that the proposed GP86-01 never became a complete racing car, there was a design, there was an intended driver, there was an engine arrangement, but there was no finished F1 machine.
That distinction is important because many failed F1 projects at least managed to produce a prototype, test chassis or partially completed car, Ekström Grand Prix never reached that stage, the GP86-01 remained essentially a project on paper!
It is one of the reasons the team has become an interesting footnote in the history of unraced F1 projects, looking back at the plans today, it is easy to imagine the proposed Ekström sitting in an Imola garage during the 1986 season, instead, the project disappeared before it could even take its first official lap!
Ekström Grand Prix and the Lost F1 Projects of the 1980s
The 1980s produced numerous F1 dreams that never reached the starting grid, the combination of rising technical costs, increasingly sophisticated turbo engines and the enormous financial demands of running F1 team made the championship a difficult place for newcomers, Ekström Grand Prix is one of those forgotten F1 projects.
Perhaps Ekström would have struggled at the back of the grid, perhaps the project might eventually have developed into a serious independent team, we will never know. So what we know is that Ekström Grand Prix came surprisingly close to turning an ambitious Swiss motorsport project into a F1 entry, only for financial problems to stop the dream before the GP86-01 could ever reach the circuit.
Forgotten F1 Project Dywa F1: The Garage-Built Dream That Never Made It
