Topic: F1's new teams can miss the season opener next month and escape penalty

[Otto Puzzell]

F1's struggling new teams could miss the season opener next month and escape penalty.

Previously, failing to contest a round of the world championship
for a reason other than 'force majeure' resulted in a total loss of rights and exclusion from the sport.

But under the new version of the Concorde Agreement, teams may now miss three races before their official entry is handed back to the FIA, according to a report in the British newspaper Sunday Express.

"I think we won't see Campos and I don't think we will see the Americans (USF1)," F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is quoted as saying.

The 79-year-old Briton has made it clear he would prefer an entry to pass into the hands of the Serbian hopeful Stefan GP.

"They have got the money from the Serbian government, I've spoken to the prime minister," Ecclestone said.

But sporting director Peter Windsor denied USF1 are in trouble, and the Melbourne newspaper The Age said a teammate for Jose Maria Lopez is expected to be announced this week.

"Things are going well," he said. "We've had a few glitches as you would expect. Nothing's ever smooth in Formula One and it's a very, very late start to the whole programme."

www.motorsport.com

[faksta]

Most possibly there will be no Campos, as they already lost their Dallara deal (and Cosworth one as well, AFAIK), didn't they? So the enthusiasm of Stefan GP wo have already passed crash test and sent their equipment to Bahrain is reasonable. They even plan to join pre-season testing in late February.

[Dan Speed]

From Murphy the Bear...http://murphythebear.com/blog/index.php/2010/02/06/154-usf1-gurney-at-indy-krohn-moving-on/#comments

The rumors about USF1 continue. The tub the team claimed in December may have been a mock-up that cannot be built into a production tub. Since then there’s a production tub, but it is still incomplete, not yet ready for a crunch test.

If it wasn’t on Friday, a missed payroll will likely be made up soon, Murphy hears. But it seems a long shot for the team to make any of the first three races, at least with a car of their own design.

The big rumored is that controlling owner Chad Hurley is disappointed with the current team management, and will provide significant additional funding only if the team is able to meet agreed-to progress targets. Of course they’re in a bit of a Catch-22, given that the current cash starved position makes it difficult at best to perform. According to rumors there was a “sweat equity” deal with current team senior management, and that deal includes progress clauses that would allow for their (forced) departure. Murphy can’t verify that (unless it happens), but it’s widely enough believed that others in the sport are positioning themselves to become a ‘rescue team’ on the assumption it’s true.

A US-based group is preparing to propose a ‘take-over’ of the project, as is a British. The latter would move the operation to the UK, throwing most current staff overboard. Any change has to come with the acquiescence of Hurley.

Both those groups and the current USF1 management are battling to acquire the complete and crunch tested Campos/Dallara chassis to cover those early events. (Clearly there are many in the sport – from Bernie on down - who don’t believe Campos is going to make it.) Meanwhile, Stefan Grand Prix (Serbian Zoran Stefanovich, previously referred to here as ‘the Russians’) is sitting on the sideline with the ex-Toyota F1 stuff (Zoran might want to check that accelerator) hoping a failed team drops a pair of grid spots into its lap.

[MG]

Oh, crikey. Can't we EVER just go racing in this sport?  I hate it when Bernie is right.   

[Ultra]

Not looking good for the USF1 boys.

[Otto Puzzell]

Not looking good for the USF1 boys.

A major disappointment. I'm bummed.

[MG]

Peter Windsor sure TALKS a good game. Guess we'll have to wait and see.   

[MG]

The FIA said yesterday that missing ANY of the 19 races puts a team in violation of the Concord Agreement and the sporting regulations.


Oh, my......

[mpatrizio]

Here's the latest on USF1....

The story that I've heard is that the Youtube founder (Chad Hurley) is not happy with current management and is holding back funding unless USF1 meet real, measured milestones.  But those milestones are very hard to make without funding, so you've got a catch 22.  Additionally, apparently the principals have a "sweat equity" deal, take that for what you make of it, but it sounds to me like Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson are working for next to nothing.  None of this bodes well IMHO.

One other tidbit I heard is that USF1 has two suitors waiting in the wings to do some proverbial grave-dancing. One is British and would move the entire operation to the UK, firing everyone in Charlotte, and the other is a very, very well funded American group with some sort of racing ties.  I've been trying to find out who the American group is, but I'm getting no where.  My guess is as good as yours....  Penske?  Gnassi? Hendrick?  Andretti?  I truly have no idea.

I've also heard that this "backup" American group is somehow already in contact with YouTube, perhaps Mr. Hurley went out and sourced them himself, after witnessing his displeasure with the current USF1 leadership. 

With all this said, I'm giving USF1 a ZERO point ZERO chance of making the grid in Bahrain.

[Ultra]

With all this said, I'm giving USF1 a ZERO point ZERO chance of making the grid in Bahrain.

^+1

[Otto Puzzell]

Not looking good for the USF1 boys.

Missing the opener, the closer, and every race in between. 

[MG]

Somewhere, the Fat Lady is singing:   

American F1 team USF1 closes its doors - report
   
By René Fagnan,
View author's other articles
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
According to the respected British web site Autosport.com, American F1 team USF1 has closed its doors Tuesday and will not compete in the 2010 F1 World Championship.

High-level sources revealed to Autosport that the team has now effectively closed down.

The move, which has not yet been officially confirmed, happened shortly after lunch when the team production manager revealed team personnel that they are no longer required as the operation was not continuing.

Team USF1 out of the picture could set the scene for the official arrival of the Serbian Stefan GP team.

The American team will need to be officially withdrawn from the 2010 championship if Stefan GP is going to have a chance of getting a late entry.

Such a turnaround may be possible if FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting's inspection visit to the American team's factory last week showed that USF1 was not capable of competing this season.

[Ultra]

JV drives again!!!!!  

5 WDC on the grid.  The Stefan is the old Toyota team.  A former Japanese manufacturer getting a last minute reprieve and making it into the season.   Could be the Brawn of '10 and surprise a few people.  Gonna be a fun season.

[MG]

Oh, yeah! I want Jack Newton on MY Fantasy F1 team!   

Hey, Bernie? How about a Senior GP circuit? We could have Barry Chelo, JV, Jackie Stewart, Irv the Swerve, Carlos Reuteman, Arie Liyundik, David Hobbes, Alain Prost, Jean Alesi and Alex Zinardi all driving copies of Jim Clark's Indy winning Lotus!   

Now THAT I would pay to see!   

[MG]

Looks like Stefan GP will be on the sidelines no matter what happens to USF1:

Formula 1: Stefan GP Won't Take US F1's Place

Published Mar 4, 2010

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — US F1, officially out of the Formula 1 lineup for 2010, will not see its entry taken by Stefan Grand Prix, but it is still uncertain whether the American team's status as a future competitor will be certified.

Team principal Ken Anderson said Wednesday he is awaiting word from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

"What we want to do is regroup, finish the car for 2011, be testing late summer/early fall...and be really ready for next year," Anderson told Autosport magazine.

US F1, a U.S.-based entry that received an invitation to join Formula 1 in 2010, had earlier sought permission from the FIA to miss as many as four races before entering competition.

The failure of US F1 and another new team, Campos Meta, to be ready for testing prior to the season opener March 14 has drawn withering criticism from pundits, but Anderson blamed the political wrangling of the 2009 season for putting his team behind schedule. For awhile, it was uncertain whether a breakaway series might be formed, and a renewal of the Concorde Agreement was not signed until August.

"Losing those four months was always going to be difficult to recapture, but we were on schedule right up until mid-January, and that was when some issues arose with sponsors that kind of locked us up," Anderson said.

The FIA, releasing a 12-team lineup, stated that "it is not possible for a replacement team to be entered for the Championship at this late stage," leaving the entry of Serbian Zoran Stefanović out of the lineup. He had purchased the assets of Toyota after that team withdrew abruptly at the end of the 2009 season.