Sidus in Astyrian Formula One
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| Full name | Sidus F1 Racing Team |
|---|---|
| Base | |
| Team principal(s) | Petri Joensuu
(team principal and CEO) |
| Technical director | Vincent Bates |
| Website | sidusf1.com |
| Previous name | Renetton |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1966 Caprican Grand Prix |
| Constructors' Championships | 3 (2007, 2012, 2015) |
| Drivers' Championships | 3 (2007, 2012, 2015) |
| 2019 position | 3rd |
Sidus has participated in in Astyrian Formula One as a constructor and engine supplier for various periods since 1966. It currently enters the sport as Sidus F1 Racing Team, which has competed in F1 racing since 2006. It is currently based in the Sidus Motor Company Complex in Vuornaa, Valkea, but also operates a secondary base in Ainsley, Aswick.
Sidus first involved itself in Formula One in the 1966 Caprican Grand Prix, but didn't achieve their first win until the 1968 Scottopian Grand Prix. However, due to limited success as well as the onset of the 1971 Valkean Recession, it withdrew from the sport. It later returned in 1983 as an engine supplier for the Delaney F1 team. It would go on to win five consecutive Constructors' Championship titles with Delaney and MacGregor from 1986 to 1990, and three more times from 1992 to 1994. It formally withdrew again in 1997 due to financial troubles that plagued the company after the death of its founder, Heimo Järvinen, though its engines continued to be used in F1 while badged as Comet engines.
It returned again in 2002, supplying engines for Renetton before they bought out the team in 2006, marking their return to racing as a works team after 43 years of absence. Since then, it achieved three Constructors' Championships in 2007, 2012, and 2015. Sidus also supplies engines to the MacGregor F1 team. It has collected many more championships as an engine supplier, with twelve Constructors' Championships.
Sidus as Constructor
Sidus Racing Company
Sidus first entered F1 as a constructor in 1966 with their FS-151 car. They made waves in the sport by competing with an all-Valkean factory team (save for Aswickan driver Daniel Skelly), as well as entering with an engine and chassis they made themselves - something that was unheard of, even in the 1960s, as Phaeton was the only other manufacturer that did so. Yet their debut at the 1966 Caprican Grand Prix only yielded a 13th place finish. They claimed their first Grand Prix win at the 1968 Scottopian Grand Prix with Tommi Karttunen at the wheel of a Sidus FS-153.
For the 1969 season, Sidus developed the FS-154, but it suffered from an unreliable engine and a heavy chassis. 1970's entry, the FS-155, managed to remedy many of the engine's problems, though it still wasn't enough to consistently win races - their only win was at the 1970 Noordenstaat Grand Prix. Their fortunes improved with the FS-160, a car noted for its remarkable handling. But despite the team steadily improving their cars, the sudden shock of the 1971 Valkean Recession affected their chances of winning. Sidus was forced to withdraw midway through the 1973 season, having failed to win a single Constructors' Championship.
Sidus tried to rejoin F1 as a full works team in 1994 with the development of a test car, the FS-200, which proved to be technically impressive, even for the time. But the company was still reeling from the death of their founder, Heimo Järvinen, and was also lagging behind their fellow competitors in the road car market. The project was shelved in 1995.
Sidus F1 Racing Team
In 2006, Sidus bought the remaining shares of the Renetton F1 team, renaming it as Sidus F1 Racing Team. For their first season, they hired drivers Paavo Laakkonen and Adrian Berkhoff, as well as Pekka Koivu as a test and reserve driver. The 2006 season went relatively well for Sidus, with Laakkonen and Berkhoff scoring 3rd and 7th in the Drivers' Championship, respectively. In 2007, Sidus capitalized on their progress with the dominant FS-207, which helped Laakkonen win the team's first Constructors' Championship.
Sidus as Engine Supplier
Sidus returned in 1983 as an engine supplier and supplied various teams until their withdrawal in 1997. These teams included Delaney (1983-1987), Orchid (1985-1993), MacGregor (1988-1997), and Tyroll (1989-1990). Their engines were favored by teams for their reliability, power, sophistication, and track record, and they are most known for forming part of MacGregor's Formula One domination from 1988 to 1994 (except for the 1991 season where Delaney won with Sorsa engines).