Using 'crowdfunding' to finance an assault on Le Mans, David Brabham reveals he would consider bringing the legendary name back to F1.

"I have long dreamt of seeing the Brabham team back out on the track, winning at the highest level and continuing the legacy my father laid down when he first started the team in the Sixties," said Brabham, a winner at Le Mans in 2009, in a statement.

"To bring Brabham back we have to do things differently," he continued. "After careful consideration and research we have created a new model of open source racing, which will bring fans closer to the action, inspire drivers and engineers around the world and offer the rare opportunity to be a part of this new but historical race team.

"I am a big believer in the power of collective thinking and see many advantages in this model that will help Brabham become a winning team once again, but in a new and inspiring way. Who knows where that could lead? Back to Formula One, I hope."

Whilst it would indeed be good to see the Brabham name back in motorsport as a manufacturer, Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship seems the best plan.

Though the Brabham team enjoyed great success under founder Jack Brabham and subsequently Bernie Ecclestone, it ended, as so many F1 teams often do, in failure, the team a shadow of its former self.

At a time we are talking of three car teams due to the collapse of a number of existing outfits, it is madness to even consider entering F1, especially with a business plan based on 'crowdfunding'.

Under the scheme, further details of which will be made public in the coming days, fans can invest as little as £1.

Chris Balfe