USF1 will eventually produce ‘the next American world champion’ in F1 – that is the audacious and confident boast of Peter Windsor, as a former grand prix-winner has rated the North Carolina-based 2010 newcomer’s chances of success as ‘excellent’.
USF1 will be one of four new teams on the starting grid next season, along with British outfits Manor and Lotus and Spanish operation Campos Meta, but many have cast doubt upon just how serious the undertaking is – being based the other side of the Pond to every other team in the field, and in a country where enthusiasm for F1 has always been somewhat muted to say the least – and indeed upon whether it will even make it to Bahrain for the 2010 curtain-raiser in March at all.
Moreover, whilst much was made back at the launch about the desire to employ two home-grown stars on the driving strength, it now appears that a brace of more experienced ‘foreigners’ will constitute the line-up for USF1’s 2010 debut – dashing the hopes of the likes of Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Kyle Busch, Jonathan Summerton et al.
However, the Charlotte concern – housed in the former Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR workshop, albeit with a Spanish satellite base – has secured significant backing from wealthy YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley to foot part of its $60 million annual budget, even though no other sponsors have yet been announced.
What’s more, USF1 has recruited existing F1 and NASCAR experts to boost its workforce. There will be an R&D manager from 2009 F1 World Champions Brawn GP, whilst lead aerodynamicist Eric Warren and machine shop manager Brian Williams both herald from NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World East Series stalwarts Michael Waltrip Racing.
The team will also benefit from the state-of-the-art Windshear wind tunnel in nearby Concord, that Windsor’s fellow co-founder – and respected former F1 and IndyCar designer – Ken Anderson helped to build. Windshear was used by five other F1 teams last year, whilst with its headquarters in the heart of NASCAR country, USF1 will be able to draw upon a raft of cutting-edge innovation, with Anderson contending that as much as 90 per cent of the technology in the top flight comes initially from the US aerospace industry.
The labour and parts will also be sourced from home soil, and Dan Gurney – who won four grands prix in the 1960s, the last of them with an Eagle, the final F1 victory to-date by a US-based team back in 1967 – reckons USF1’s approach is the correct one, as it effectively removes the ‘middle man’ in terms of needing to ship parts across the Atlantic.
“Kenny and Peter are putting together a perfect team and have an excellent chance,” the 78-year-old – whose Anglo-American Racers challenge was based in California when the state was the centre of the aviation industry four decades ago – told USA Today. “They are armed with technology we never had.”
“Because of the boom in NASCAR, we can take advantage of infrastructure no-one else [in F1] is and be the only F1 game in town,” affirmed Windsor. “The plan is to be an American brand that creates the next American world champion. That’s the raison d'être of this team.”
There are rumours in the media that all is not well in the relationship with engine-supplier Cosworth, and that the current 60-strong workforce is only being employed on a month-by-month basis – but Hurley is adamant that USF1 will be around for a long, long time.
“We’ll find the revenue to make a great business out of this,” underlined the man who sold YouTube to Google for $1.65 billion three years ago. “The returns may not be as large in the first few years, but I’m not involved for the short-term. We’re looking 20 years down the road.”
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joe.abassy
You are right it matters not a jot; who invented what. The thing that matters is the associated false pride and consequent arrogance which grows from it, which leads to denigration of others in order to maintain self image, which in turn leads to the resentment and disdain of other nations.
usalien196
I too lived and worked in the US; I too love the place, but you're wrong I feel free to criticize the place any time I like, and I do not ware rose tinted glasses, as you seem to.
You have to admit that the US has a long and dishonorable history of arrogance Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic; Edison invented the Light-Bulb; they invented the internet & World Wide Web and stealing other peoples ideas Atomic Weapons; Jet engines; Radar; Fiber Optics; Carbon Fiber........
who cares who developed what? technology is shared and improved the moment it touches a new engineers hand. It reminds me that the toilet seat was invented in the UK, but it was the USA that made the hole in it . .
1st toyota today and maybe renault tomorrow.....maybe peter is right .
with these experienced teams dropping out and if they hire little nelson i think they could swing that the 1st year on the grid.
nelson knows where to crash to get the most out of the wreck and if he took a few with him like a nascar race.....heck peter could win it all..............
Actually I think this article contains a small inaccuracy regarding U.S. teams' F1 success.
The last U.S. F1 team victory was not by Dan Gurney in the 60s....but by Roger Penske's Penske F1 team. John Watson, driving for Penske, won the 1976 Austrian GP.
Labor costs will be much less in the US for USF1. They don't have to pay for redundancy when they lay people off. Toyota is saving some money by pulling out of F1 but they still have to pay off the German government for the 650 people they will be laying off at their factory.
pHilo, sorry to break it to you but carbon fibre was a british invention but as with alot of others , you yanks took it and developed it as if it was yours. Have you checked the history books yet or do you still think that we brits kicked the eskimos from our land?
While the so-called invention of carbon fiber occured in England, it was very quickly shared with Americans who developed the process and simplified it so that artisans can construct basic forms in their garages. While the first race car probably was constructed in England, it was owned by Jim Hall, a very successful American owner, driver, and engineer; and was driven by Johnny Rutherford, a thoroughly American Indy Car driver.
While the cars may be essentially all the same, there is a very significant technological content in every NASCAR racing car. To get 850 HP out of a carburetted engine, no fuel injection, limited to 358ci, and do so reliably, up to 10,000 RPM repeatedly in a 500 or 600 mile race requires significant developments in engineering and metallurgy.
I believe that Anderson, Windsor, and USF1 have taken the only viable path to success in F1 that was realistic for an American team. American sponsors can go to the manufacturing facility and actually observe the cars being constructed. They can be a part of an American process. I also believe that by locating in Charlotte, they mau have reduced start-up costs by half from what it would cost to build cars in Europe. They don't have to build a wind tunnel and spend a year tuning it for repeatable and consistent performance. They can rent one that has already been proven consistent. That saves $15 to $20 million right there. They bought a shop that already was equipped to produce carbon fiber. All the necessary technology to build the electronics and computer support processes are readily available, up and running.
Why go to Europe and pay premium prices for rents, wages, and possibly import duties for American built assemblies when you can save all that by building in America and use the savings to develop a well built race car.
They may not win in year one, but by years four and five, be prepared to see an American car win in F1.
i doubt even minardi consider themselves as producing the world champion alonso when he was in the renault.
yeah...nascar cant even go to former formula 1 drivers like montoya and speed to keep from crashing the cars when only turning left. hahaha
usalien196 How a Typical american feels like. All americans think that The US is better than the UK do you know why they are too dumb to live in Britain. Look at it NASCAR go round in curciles but still crash. How dumb do u need 2 be to crash a car when u only have 2 turn Left. The left wheels are also shorter than the right in the indy series to help them turn but they stil crash. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA AHA HA HA HA AHAHAHA
i live in the usa and i hope usf1 goes down in a huge ball of flame. the only reason they have a chance in hell is because of the nascar type rules making all the different cars look the same. theres no longer brilliant bits of engineering built into the car. soon all the cars willhave the cosworth engine. cosworth will be in several teams cars even though theres nothing to show coworth as anywhere near ready for f1 racing. f1 is now a joke. usf1 just makes it all that more funny.
My philosophy toward this would be "lets wait and see." USF1 have as good a chance as any other team. According to the article they are in it for the long haul, they never said anything about out to win the championship in their first season. The USA have many up and coming talented drivers, aside from their current top drivers. So it is reasonable to assume that USF1 could eventually produce the next American F1 WDC. I wish them well in the 2010 season.
A Brit and McLaren supporter.
Neil, I'm not religious, but I thank him every day. Hahaha
If USF1 is around for the next 20 years, there's a good chance they will "produce" the next American F1 World Champion -- just like Minardi did with Alonso. There's nothing in the article that said the next American F1 World Champion will win the championship in their car. Who knows, 20 years is a long long time. Good luck to them.
philo - Carbon fibre was not invented in the States.
usalien1967 - thank the Lord you're gone.
Oh,it amuses me so much to see so many people show there ignorance to such a large audience. Being a Brit that has lived in Charlotte for the best part of 15 years, I have found that the only people who criticize America and its people are the ones who have never been here, living in disgusting cess-pits like England. Everytime I return home to see my family, I bless the day that I moved over here to a place where (a)People respect other people and property, (b) You have the right to defend yourself and your property (c) ASBOS are not needed to keep teenagers out of trouble (d) you can leave your car unlocked and know it will be there when you return.
I, for one, will be a keen follower of USF1 and wish them all the success in the world.
DEMO, the reason many series are not raced in the rain is because a lot of the races are on high speed ovals where cars travel at close to 200mph with no run-off areas, just a concrete wall. Regular race tracks with gravel pits and run-off areas are still raced in the rain. It's called safety and there's not an F1 driver on this planet that would be willing to race on these ovals in the wet.
To wrap it up, it's usually the ones that feel threatened are the ones that criticize and name call. 99% of people wouldleave their hopeless countries and live here if they had the opportunity. You should try it, you may like it. I for one would never even consider moving back to the UK. It's cold, wet, miserable, everyone looks like they're permanently having a bad day, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps when your country is prosperous and successful, then you will be in a position to criticize the USA, (it won't happen in your life-time), until then, don't slag off what you know nothing about!!
Ha Ha Ha ......not a snowball in hells chance. The septic tanks can only drive in circles.
The only training they get is in how to mention all their sponsors names in 30 seconds.
Boris Johnson stands more chance of being F1 world champion .....
toyota ,honda and bridgestone bail out and the upstart team says they have an excellent chance to a world championship...?
the two teams had invested so much and couldn't get over the winning hump so this team has a btter chance..?
must be hustling advertisers who haven't a clue.....
previsible thinking..............
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