USF1/USGPE News

Can I ask the age old question?

Why have the Americans never really cracked F1 - Brits have cracked ovals, Wheldon and Franchitti spring to mind but still?
 
I think it's just a % issue isn't it?

Far less Americans have entered F1 than Brits.
Not including the Indy 500 races, only something like 30 or so Americans have driven in F1 races whereas it's around 150 for Brit's.
 
Speshal said:
Can I ask the age old question?

Why have the Americans never really cracked F1 - Brits have cracked ovals, Wheldon and Franchitti spring to mind but still?
Click to expand

I think its similar to the issue of Americans on big time club soccer teams. Its just that our grassroots motorsports are mostly dirt and paved ovals like football and baseball. There are some people that certainly have the talent to run F1 but choose to run stock cars. People like Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, and (even though I dislike him) Kyle Busch have shown they can run open wheels but its just not the focus of motorsports here. If you get someone who is dedicated to open wheels they could compete but its just a smaller talent pool of open wheelers here.
 
Relative to the number of US drivers who have taken part in F1 they're not doing too badly with 2 World Champions, twice as many as Germany, France and Italy and the same number as Austria, Australia and Italy.

If I'm honest, for a country so passionate about it's motor sport, Italy is the one which I would categorise as perennial under achievers no World Champions since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Perhaps this is something for another thread...
 
Just out of interest are all US oval races run anti-clockwise? When F1 went to Indy I recall they ran the "wrong way" round the banking.
 
FB said:
Just out of interest are all US oval races run anti-clockwise? When F1 went to Indy I recall they ran the "wrong way" round the banking.
Click to expand

As far as I have ever seen yes everything is counterclockwise, though there is Figure 8 racing that does both but that is more of a demolition derby than a racing event.
 
It looks like USF1 may have given up on the idea of having an American driver.

American driver unlikely for US F1

A wise decision in my opinion as they will need all the help they can get as a fledgling team so they'd much better off trying to poach one of the current drivers or even someone from Cart, A1GP, etc.
 
I would agree that there has to be at least one driver with some type of F1 experience. This next season is really shaping up to be a 2 group race. It is vitally important for USF1 to get some points to gain any type of foothold in the US motorsports media. They need to be on ESPN putting up a fight. The Speed channel is nice but the motorsports fans that stay up at all hours to watch F1 are already behind the cause. The team needs to gain new fans. If that means a non American behind the wheel then so be it. But I still see no reason that the second driver could not be an American. This is the first time I have heard Jonathan Summerton's name brought up but he could certainly fit in the second seat, he won an A1GP race (the only US victory), won an F3 race, and is second in the Atlantic Championship and still just 21 years old. This kid seems like the type we need, he is actively pursuing a career path towards F1 and not just the Indy 500.
 
Looks like Bernie has been talking out of his derriere, as usual.

"Our world headquarters are now complete and fully functional, and the 2010 race car is in the construction phase," said Ken Anderson.

"Our timing is according to plan, with an early November 'roller' and a finished car for January 2010 testing."
Click to expand

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8296058.stm

I do love the "World Headquarters" bit though. Is this on Dr Evil's volcanic island? LOL
 
Well Bernie's derierre is so much closer to his mouth than other people's. (That was a short stature joke, if you're wondering!)

Seems the US manage to get things done. The big question is, of course, who will win the battle: the USA vs Spain vs Malaysia vs... Yorkshire! (Come on, Yorkshire!)
 
Bernie seems to think USF1 won't make it to the grid (along with Campos).

The Formula One commercial rights-holder revealed that he expects two of the four new teams with sanctioned grid slots for next season — Campos F1 and USF1 — not to make it. “I think the people we expected to perform will and those that we thought wouldn’t, won’t,” he said. Ecclestone expects 24 cars to start the opening race in Bahrain in March.
Click to expand
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article6964463.ece

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=39711
 
Just a small question. Next year there will be a 13 teams on a 26 car grid. Ecclestone thinks Campos Meta and USF1 will not make the grid. That reduces the grid by 4. Now, I've not looked at my calculator for a while, but last time I checked 26-4=22. So who's supplying the extra 2 cars?

And if Ecclestone thought earlier that USF1 and Campos Meta would be unable to fulfill their grid slots; why the hell were they given the slots?
 
teabagyokel said:
So who's supplying the extra 2 cars?
Click to expand
That Stefan bloke who always seems to be in the news?
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80619

And if Ecclestone thought earlier that USF1 and Campos Meta would be unable to fulfill their grid slots; why the hell were they given the slots?
Click to expand
Who knows?

I thought it was against the rules to bid for a slot only to sell it on later but isn't that what some of the teams have already done?
 

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