2010 Formula One season [Huge update on page one]

No one was suggesting that the USA couldn't build a decent racing car.

But Windsor and Anderson seem to need some lessons on it :P

It would certainly be very disappointing if US-F1 don't get over the line. They announced the project long before the bids were announced, so had extra time to finalise investors, or even to move on to designing the car, and yet it looks like they won't make it.

On the other hand, Lotus' entry was granted later than everyone else's, and they are now on track. I haven't rated Mike Gascoyne in the past, but he and Tony Fernandes have done an excellent job getting the team together in such a short time period.

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X (@ed24f1)

...(Mad) Max blew it, ...AGAIN! lol

pwhh, ...politics

USF1 should turn down their F1 entry if they are not going to race this year as it was said, because Stefan Gp would join the other teams to test, and not doing that would be a little sellfish move from the american team

Depends on how you look at it. I doubt Stefan GP will want to fill the gap for a year and then leave again so USF1 can come back, and having a 28 car grid seems unlikely at the moment.

but why should Stefan GP leave at the end of 2010? anyway, I see the fusion between USF1 and Campos (or at least Campos + $$$$ of Chad Hurley) like the best solution at the moment

I was looking at it without the fusion in mind. We currently have 13 slots. If one or both of those teams don't make it, 11 slots will be left ans SGP will fill one. If they don't fuse and come back in 2011, then there are two teams who both initially had a spot, but only one slot is available -> problem :P

A fusion might not be such a good solution I think. Both teams have a windtunnel, a staff, but both have no money. The loss of capital by abondoning a windtunnel and the cost of firing of a lot of people might be bigger than the short term benefit of extra money by fusing.

USF1 hasnt got money because Chad Hurley has, and he has left the team.

I see it like this.

USF1 has money but no car (and moneys gone because chad hurley´s gone)
Campos has car but they cant took it from Dallara

with Chad Hurley and "Pechito" Lopez (he has $8 millions in sponsorship, and people related to him is in talks with Bernie to secure a drive to lopez) going to campos, the money problem would be solved.

If they are pulling out I wish they would right now so this Stefen GP can get testing and ready.

The have a good car, well its Toyota.

StefanGP has announced that they are to hold their own tests a week from now regardless - I don't think that is dependent on whether the slot is free, as StefanGP seem determined to be at Bahrain even if the FIA turns them away. However, I agree, the indecision is hurting all three teams at the moment.

Why can't Stefan test already if they're as ready as is being made out.

I know it's an official test, but it's not like the pit-lane and track are overflowing with cars.

I think the chances of seeing them are low. For all we know, Bernie's words in their favour might just be a hurry up to USF1 and Campos - he needs USF1 to work. There's been sod all coming from the other teams or the FIA about a chance for Stefan, and all participating teams and the FIA need to agree to it.

I just don't see a lot of support for Stefan, or they'd be testing already.

from autoweek.com

A deal that will see U.S. F1 driver Jose Maria Lopez join Bruno Senna at Campos Meta could be announced as soon as Friday.

Lopez was told by team boss Peter Windsor earlier this week in Charlotte, N.C., that U.S. F1 would not make the first race in Bahrain. Having made commitments to his sponsors, Lopez immediately began looking for an alternative and traveled to Europe with his father, advisor Felipe McGough, and his touring car team boss, former F3 driver Victor Rosso.

Lopez and McGough spent a second day with Bernie Ecclestone at the Formula One Management offices in London on Thursday, as the F1 boss tried to sort out the deal. It seems that negotiations have reached a conclusion, with a report in Argentina suggesting that the deal is basically done.

It's a complex arrangement that will presumably see original Campos investor Jose Ramon Carabante taking charge, while former Midland/Spyker/Force India boss Colin Kolles is putting a team together to run the Dallara-Cosworths.

Kolles runs German Touring Car and Le Mans Series teams in Europe and can thus provide logistical support fairly quickly. Former BAR and Red Bull technical chief Geoff Willis is also involved.

Chad Hurley is also still in the loop, although it remains to be seen whether the YouTube founder is bringing some much needed financial support to the Campos project. His advisor, Parris Mullins, has also been in London.

Although he would not be divulge any details, Kolles told AutoWeek on Thursday that an announcement could come soon. Meanwhile, when we tried to track Lopez down on Thursday evening, he was in a London pub, and may well have been celebrating...

A close associate of Lopez told AutoWeek earlier Thursday: “U.S. F1 hadn't finished the car and we had promised everyone that we would be in the first race in Bahrain. That's why Felipe [McGough] decided to reorganize everything, because we can't miss Bahrain. The only thing we want is that ‘Pechito' drives in F1. Everything else is not important for us.”

There has been no response from U.S. F1 to Wednesday's revelations that both Lopez and Hurley have left the team.

If anyone wants pictures of Kovalainen's new helmet design, check the pictures below:


Larger version available here


Larger version available here


Larger version available here

gav Wrote:
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> Why can't Stefan test already if they're as ready
> as is being made out.
>
> I know it's an official test, but it's not like
> the pit-lane and track are overflowing with cars.
>
> I think the chances of seeing them are low. For
> all we know, Bernie's words in their favour might
> just be a hurry up to USF1 and Campos - he needs
> USF1 to work. There's been sod all coming from the
> other teams or the FIA about a chance for Stefan,
> and all participating teams and the FIA need to
> agree to it.
>
> I just don't see a lot of support for Stefan, or
> they'd be testing already.

Personally I read some of Stefan's press releases and begin to think the author honed his skills during the days of Tito - they may really not be ready just yet to get the car on the track. But the car is already there, unlike with USF1, I think they are more likely to be ready for Bahrain, and I for one would be annoyed that they'd be denied a chance to race in favour of a team that looks increasingly unlikely to be able to by the day. I mean I'll certainly agree there's been little officially coming out of F1 that is all that welcoming to Stefan; I saw on the BBC a few days ago that they wanted a 14th slot, yet as far as I am aware no one, not even Williams who were quite vocal about it last time, seems to have wanted to give the time to reiterate why they didn't support that idea anyway, let alone actually come out in support of it now; but Bernie's support for them - it could well be a hurry up for the other two, but after trying to "encourage" them by saying he didn't think they'd actually make the grid anyway - yes it spurned some "we'll show you!" responses, but it seems in the case of USF1 at the moment, he may have just been brutally honest. But this is Bernie; as you say, who knows what his real intentions are.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2010 10:13AM by zulu_85.

They are ready to test but they have no tyres to test with.

I think they will be on the grid at the 1st race.

Q. Where do you stand on tyres?

ZS: What we have at the moment is an answer from Bridgestone that they are only supplying to teams which are participating in Formula 1, but we are positive that they may supply GP2 tyres.

Q. If you can't get tyres from Bridgestone, what are your options?

ZS: We will see. We are working on it at the moment and we can't comment more. We think that safety will prevail



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2010 01:58PM by elemental.

Phoenix.

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Its turning into a bit of a farce this whole USF1/Campos situation. The FIA in their ultimate wisdom have chosen two teams who seemingly won't make it. There must have been some warning signs as to how firm the financial backing was for the two teams when the FIA made their decision?

If the teams fail to turn up at Bahrain, what would then happen? If they don't turn up then they are in breach of the contract they signed with the FIA when they entered. Could the FIA sue them, but what would that achieve?

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Remembering too about the possibility that they could be allowed to miss the opening races but keep their entry as long as they turn up for the others. Not an ideal solution, but I'm sure it'd be considered before legal action was.

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EC83 Wrote:
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> Remembering too about the possibility that they
> could be allowed to miss the opening races but
> keep their entry as long as they turn up for the
> others. Not an ideal solution, but I'm sure it'd
> be considered before legal action was.

Apparently that was lost in translation. Bernie went ahead and spoke on behalf of the FIA without actually knowing the full details. Taken from Autoweek:

"From a sporting and regulatory point of view, each team that has registered for the championship is obliged to take part in every event of the season. Any failure to take part, even for just one championship event, would constitute an infringement both of the Concorde Agreement and the FIA Regulations."

It doesn't specify what punishments could be meted out though. So maybe USF1/Campos wouldn't mind taking the punishment, so long as its not a fine of some sorts. Whonoes.

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