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 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.
However, their fortunes reversed in the 2008 season, where they had to retire from several races due to reliability issues. Berkhoff suffered a devastating crash at the Nikolian Grand Prix, which broke his right leg. While he was forced to retire for the rest of the season, Koivu was brought in to substitute him. Immediately the young Valkean made a very good impression, taking 2nd place at the Caprican Grand Prix. However, this was not enough for the team to win: they finished 4th in the constructors' standings. 2009 saw Berkhoff return to racing with Sidus, but it was short lived. After a disappointing season marked by several DNFs, as well as an incident with Laakkonen at the Hindia Belandan Grand Prix where the two crashed out of the race, he made the announcement that he was moving to LZS in 2010. Koivu was brought in to replace him. This proved to be a good call, as Berkhoff and his co-driver, Tomasz Maruszewski, would claim the Constructors' Championship for LZS. Sidus on the other hand finished the 2010 season in 5th place.
Their championship hopes improved in 2011, with Laakkonen and Koivu delivering several victories and podiums. But despite the FS-211 being a technically superior car, both drivers suffered mechanical failures which cost them many crucial chances for victory. Despite this, Sidus finished the constructors' standings in 3rd, behind Kappaksturslid and MacGregor. But it was 2012 when the team has shown tremendous form. Despite the 2012 season having one of the fiercest battles for the championship in years, Laakkonen and Koivu were able to fend off their rivals, allowing for Sidus to win the Constructors' Championship with an all-Valkean lineup. Laakkonen went home as a two-time world champion, while Koivu got within the top 5 in the Drivers' Championship standings.
The 2013 season was a pretty good year for Sidus, but unfortunately the MacGregor MG2013 outclassed the FS-213 in every possible metric. Despite this, Pekka Koivu proved his worth as a driver when he fended off Aswickan driver Steven Grey at the Monsan Grand Prix and took the checkered flag. Laakkonen on the other hand was less lucky, having retired from four Grands Prix that year. Frustrated that he wasn't able to perform well that season, he famously criticized Sidus in the postrace press conference after the end of the Valkean Grand Prix, which angered team management. Soon after, it was announced that Laakkonen would no longer race with Sidus for the 2014 season. In his place they would bring Simo Rassinen, who was then driving for the Juhola F1 team.
Rassinen adjusted well to his new team, and he and Pekka Koivu began the 2014 season with three 1-2 finishes. However, they both quickly dropped their form due to teething problems associated with the turbo-hybrid FS-214. Over the course of the season, Sidus steadily improved their car, but it was not enough for them to overtake Angelbridge in the Constructors' Championship. On November 23, Phaeton announced that they had signed Koivu to drive for them in a 3-year contract. In response, Sidus recruited Beriquois driver Guy Bassett.
Sidus were on top form for the 2015 championship. They had finally solved much of the reliability issues from last season, and the resulting FS-215 proved to be a dominant force on the track. Rassinen and Bassett pushed each other hard all season, taking several victories and podiums for the team. This intense fight for the Drivers' Championship peaked when both drivers infamously crashed on the first lap at the Nidwaldeser Grand Prix, when Bassett collided with Rassinen in the scramble as they rounded Turn 1. Despite this, Rassinen ended the 2015 season in first place, earning his Drivers' Championship that year, with his teammate in 2nd place. This meant Sidus gained their 3rd Constructors' Championship by a significant margin.
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).