USF1/USGPE News

Hard to believe that a US based team which would be introducing the first serious American involvement in F1 since Team Haas in the mid 80's can't get any funding at all.

The F1 sponsorship model is very different from that of IRL or Nascar where sponsorship is by car and drivers put up a lot more money from their own personal sponsorship than F1 drivers do. Maybe that's in part contributing to US F1s struggles. The current global financial woes aren't helping either.

I presume if the team are looking to enter in May then they would still want to do 2 or 3 test sessions before hand. I guess they would be entitled to the same number of testing hours as any other team this season but would the others allow what would effectively be testing during the regular season?

If the FIA have to make a decision at all I would say now is the time to tell US F1 to pull stumps. The vacant slot on the grid should then be put back up for application in a fair way and without the Cosworth clause. Bids close by the end of March, review in April for an announcement at Barca on the 4th for a 2011 slot. Job done!

Sorry USF1 (and to some extent Campos) you've had the same time and as much opportunity as the other two new teams to get it all into one sock and you haven't made it. You are more than welcome to bid again for next year but (and this is the key part this time Jean !!!!) this time we will be taking a good look at the books to make sure you can play.

:thinking:
 
Couldn't agree more c_a_t - it's decision time now. This will-they won't-they business is harming F1's image; broadcasters are trying to put together their season previews and packages and we still don't know what the cast is going to be.

Incidentally, by the letter of the law there's no testing permitted from the week before Bahrain onwards (i.e. 8th March) until the end of the season. Probably they could get agreement from the other teams to go beyond that, though Virgin and Lotus might be put out a bit.
 
does give them permission to miss them.

They have no race team - only a team manager and a single mechanic - and all the suppliers have been put on hold.
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LOL

Sources have told BBC Sport that hopefuls Stefan Grand Prix will almost certainly be given the slot vacated by US F1.
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:o
 
USF1 have no chance at all of making the grid.

Its three weeks till Bahrain, and two till the planes fly out. So they've basically got just over a week to get another driver, build 2 cars, hire a pit crew, sort out all their equipment (eg. pit wall), build spare parts.

It 'aint going to happen.
 
USF1 and Stefan GP to merge - now that makes sense. USF1 have an FIA entry and tyres, Stefan have a car. Although it appears to be USF1's main sponsor who is negotiating this rather than the team principle, with Bernie the puppet master in the background pulling the strings!

The other question is if Stefan GP have Villeneuve and Nakajima lined up where will Lopez go?

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/9681.html
 
The Times Of India is reporting that Karun Chandhok has secured a drive with Campos thanks to a large sponsorship deal.
So that is Senna and Chandhok at Campos, no room for Lopez.
 
While this is welcome news its still a sad situation because no matter the outcome it isn't anything that was said at the beginning. I will still be happy if there is a USF1 team on the grid but obviously it would be in name only, its not the American designed, American driven car we were all told about from the get go so it would be a empty happy at best. They have been getting at least mentioned a bit in the motorsports coverage here but the negative news about the demise of USF1 would have been another step in the wrong direction. There are still many questions about the merger though, obviously they would have to run under the USF1 banner to use the entry but what of the sponsors? Would the team still be based out of Charlotte? What of the employees? Etc...
 
Brogan said:
So that is Senna and Chandhok at Campos, no room for Lopez.
Click to expand

B. Senna & Chandock at Campos reminds me of A. Senna & his teammates at Toleman. A. Senna gave them a flogging and B. Senna will do the same :thumbsup: :thumbsup: (if he gets the seat and the team makes it to Bahrain :thinking: :thinking: )
 
Now the question is, Do the FIA grant a late entry to Stefan F1 for this season which would almost certainly spell curtains for USF1 this season, next season or any other season or do the FIA grant USF1 a year to sort themselves out, leaving the grid with 12 teams and hope they get it right second time round.

In my view the only option is to take the team that is ready to go now and review the whole situation again in 6 months time.

Who knows, Once of the established teams or one of the new boys may not be around for next season anyway.

(Renault for example)

Yes the financial climate is not good but it's very dissapointing that with the potential of the American market there wasn't more support for this team. The question is was that down to American apathy or the management of USF1. Perhaps the lack of the signature of a US driver early on in the teams formation put a block on a lot of backing?
 
Having just spent a few days in the US I can faithfully report that there is zero coverage of F1 even though the season is less than 2 weeks away and there has been all that testing. The US papers are full of the NASCAR race at Las Vegas and, for all the wrong reasons, Danica Patrick's drive in both NASCAR and the new Indy season.

USF1, who?
 
FB said:
Having just spent a few days in the US I can faithfully report that there is zero coverage of F1 even though the season is less than 2 weeks away and there has been all that testing. The US papers are full of the NASCAR race at Las Vegas and, for all the wrong reasons, Danica Patrick's drive in both NASCAR and the new Indy season.

USF1, who?
Click to expand

I can't really blame the media for not covering F1, there is no reason for it. There is no selling point for it here, no race, no team, no reasonable start times for US coverage. Until there is an F1 team based in the US, an American driver, and an American Grand Prix there isn't much of a reason for the news to cover it. Particularly in light of the death of the newspaper industry. To be honest I am surprised you found IRL coverage, personally the only non-NASCAR coverage I have seen on mainstream sports news was a bit of coverage for the 24 hours of Daytona and some NHRA.
 
It's all over for US F1 it would seem.

Team US F1's Formula 1 hopes appeared to be over on Tuesday, with high level sources revealing to AUTOSPORT that the outfit has now effectively closed down.

Against the backdrop of weeks of uncertainty about the future of the American team, which had been struggling to get a car ready for the start of the season, sources have revealed team personnel have now been informed they are no longer required as the operation could not continue in its present guise.

AUTOSPORT understands that shortly before lunchtime, production manager Dave Skog informed those staff who had remained at the team during its recent troubles that they were being put on unpaid leave - even though they remain technically employed.
Click to expand

Team US F1 shuts down operation
 
Well it's no suprise that it's come to an end but you can't help thinking what could have been.

This entry has been some 18 months to 2 years in the pipeline. Even before cost cuts and budget caps there was talk of a US based F1 team.

They can't have been helped by the current financial crisis and as Danny'boy talks about in his post, F1 is a minow in terms of coverage and following stateside.

So it would seem to be Stefan or bust then. If you'll pardon the pun.
 

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