Midland F1 Racing, also known as MF1 Racing or simply “Midland,” was a Formula 1 team that competed in the 2006 F1 season. The team emerged after the Midland Group, owned by Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider, bought the Jordan Grand Prix team.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Christijan Albers: A Dutch racing driver who was signed by Midland F1 Racing from Minardi. Albers competed for the team during its only season in Formula 1 in 2006 before its sale to Spyker Cars.
Tiago Monteiro: A Portuguese racing driver who was retained by Midland F1 Racing for the 2006 season. Monteiro had previously driven for Jordan, the team Midland acquired.
Colin Kolles: He served as the team principal for Midland F1 Racing. Even after the team’s sale to Spyker Cars, Kolles remained the team principal, playing a crucial role in the team’s transition.
The Midland Group entered Formula 1 in 2004 with an announcement to establish a team for the 2006 season. Initially, there was speculation about creating a new team or acquiring Jaguar. However, Midland purchased the Jordan team from Eddie Jordan before the 2005 season for $60 million. This acquisition meant the team was an extension of Jordan, avoiding the need for a $48 million entry bond for new teams and securing the television revenue from Jordan’s ninth-place finish in the constructors’ championship the previous year.
In 2005, under the Jordan name, the team faced challenges and remained at the lower end of the grid, with rookies Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro. The season’s notable moments included Monteiro’s third-place finish at the controversial US Grand Prix, where only six cars competed, an eighth-place finish at Spa in the rain, and a record for consecutive finishes.
There were rumours during this period that Midland was considering selling Jordan, even before rebranding the team under its own name in 2006. Team principal Trevor Carlin and chief engineer Mark Smith left the team midway through the season with ongoing rumours of a potential buyout by former F1 driver Eddie Irvine.
Joining the grid in 2006, the team was recognised as the first Russian Formula 1 team. Despite this notable title, its operations remained firmly in the UK, using the Silverstone factory previously occupied by Jordan. Despite ambitions to field Formula 1’s first Russian driver, the team signed Dutchman Christijan Albers from Minardi and retained Portuguese driver Tiago Monteiro. Their time in F1 also saw them field several drivers for Friday practice sessions, including Markus Winkelhock, Giorgio Mondini, Adrian Sutil, Alexandre Prémat, and E. J. Viso at various points throughout the season.
Midland’s performance improved mid-season due to advancements in tyre development from Bridgestone, along with enhancements in aerodynamics and handling, overseen by team members such as Simon Phillips and Richard Frith. This progress allowed them to occasionally make it into the second qualifying session, achieving a best qualifying position of 14th. However, despite these improvements, the team’s performance was hampered by a series of first-lap accidents, a disqualification at the German Grand Prix for using a flexible wing, and contravening technical regulations.
Midland F1 Legacy
In September 2006, less than two years after its formation, Midland F1 Racing was sold to Spyker Cars for $106.6 million. This sale was part of a trend that saw Formula One teams increase in value due to a cap on the number of teams that could enter the sport post-2008. Under the leadership of Colin Kolles as team principal and with Michiel Mol as the new Director of F1 racing, the team competed in its final races under the Spyker MF1 Racing name due to mid-season restrictions on name changes. Following the sale, the team competed as Spyker F1 in 2007 and later evolved into Force India from 2008 onwards.
Midland Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 18 |
| Constructors’ Championships | 0 |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Midland Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Midland F1 Racing | M16 | Tiago Monteiro Christijan Albers | 0 | 10th |