Supercar Brand Rodin Plotting Sensational Move Into F1

The owner of the New Zealand supercar manufacturer Rodin has revealed plans to build the world’s fastest Formula One car – and promised to appoint the sport’s first female driver since the 1990s if they can get a car onto the grid.

David Dicker founded tech firm Dicker Data before establishing his Rodin car company, which produces some of the fastest vehicles on four wheels available today.

An offshoot, Rodin Carlin, competes in various motor racing disciplines with some success, and now Dicker wants to make an ambitious move into F1.

Need for Speed

First Ferrari, then Mercedes and now Red Bull.

The fortunes of the biggest names in Formula One have fluctuated over the years, but there’s no doubt that Red Bull are the dominant force in the sport right now.

So much so, Max Verstappen is as short as 1/18 in the Formula 1 odds to win the 2023 drivers’ championship after just six races, while he and Sergio Perez – with five wins from those six starts this term – have powered Red Bull to an eye-watering 1/100 to win the constructors’ championship.

F1 is a sport in which it can be very difficult for new teams to establish a firm footing on the front of the grid, although it’s worth remembering that Red Bull Racing themselves have been competing in the sport for less than two decades.

Dicker wants to poop the party with his Rodin Carlin franchise, and has even suggested that the firm will build their own power unit for their debut F1 car – eschewing the standard strategy of calling upon Ferrari, Mercedes or Honda to provide the foundation for a vehicle.

The Aussie billionaire has admitted his belief that the FIA will reject Rodin’s proposal, which could come in time for the new intake of F1 cars in 2025. “They’ll think the whole thing is crazy,” Dicker said.

Michael Andretti has teamed up with General Motors to try and secure one of the openings for a new Formula One team, as are Panthera Asia and LKY SUNZ.

But Rodin’s bid for a place on the grid could be boosted by Dicker’s promise to race at least one female driver in his team’s debut year…

Breaking New Ground

Leila Lombardi was the first woman to win points in an F1 race, while the likes of Maria Teresa de Filippis, Divina Galica and Desiré Wilson have also taken to the track.

But opportunities for female drivers in Formula One have been few and far between in the past 30 years – something that Dicker wants to address at Rodin Carlin.

“For the first time, the top teams in junior motorsport are speaking exclusively with women drivers about races, test programmes and driver development.”

Stephanie Carlin reflects on how the landscape is changing in motorsport already after the announcement of F1 Academy pic.twitter.com/wQhXx7lcOn

— Rodin Carlin (@RodinCarlin) December 21, 2022

He has invested in the F1 Academy, the all-female motor racing series, and has acted as a ‘sponsor’ to Jamie Chadwick, the former W Series champion whom Dicker has confirmed would be in contention for a place on the team should Rodin Carlin’s Formula One bid prove successful.

Rodin would also be the first New Zealand based F1 team in history, so there’s a number of reasons why Dicker’s audacious plan could yet race into pole position to join one of world sport’s most exclusive clubs.