UPDATE: So dupontf1.com was actually... an advert for a book of the same name, by Alex Wurz's wife Julia. It doesn't look very good. Former Sauber driver Pedro de la Rosa has today hinted towards a brand new F1 team for next season. The Spaniard, who is currently a test driver at Ferrari, tweeted:
Seems a new F1 team is on the way dupontf1.com Believe it or not? Pedro de la Rosa (@PedrodelaRosa1) March 31, 2013
The page includes an abstract picture of an F1-like car, as well as the tagline "not just another team...". If we assume that the website is real - the countdown ends on April Fool's Day - it would seem that a new team called Dupont F1 will race next season (or perhaps earlier), filling the hole left by HRT after their departure at the end of 2012. A quick Google search suggests that DuPont is an American chemical company, which has had experience in F1 in the past with BMW Sauber. Between 2006 and 2008, the company developed a number of safety measures for drivers and mechanics, specifically against fire. They have also been involved with Lotus and Caterham in recent years. Austrian racing driver Alex Wurz, two-time Le Mans winner and former Brawn GP test driver, added more fuel to the speculation:
"@pedrodelarosa1: Seems a new F1 team is on the way dupontf1.com" wow, that explains a few things... alex wurz (@alex_wurz) March 31, 2013
With the sweeping engine and design regulation changes coming next season, there seems little better time for a new team to be a disruptive influence. DuPont F1 could actually find themselves at an advantage at this stage, with no need to focus on a car for this season. What do you think dupontf1.com is hinting towards? Does F1 need another backmarker? Leave your views in the comments below.