Discuss the sport you love with other motorsport fans
How about lets bring back the Dallas GP or the Phoenix GP??
Delta GP.
First US F1 car to be ready in Octoberhttp://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77115
By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken Wednesday, July 22nd 2009, 08:56 GMT
Team US F1 expects to have its new car ready by the end of October, as it ramps up its efforts to be on the Formula 1 grid next year.
Work at the team's Charlotte factory has been pressing on following confirmation of the squad's 2010 entry, and team principal Ken Anderson has revealed that the design of the new car is well advanced.
"Quite a lot of it is ready to manufacture," Anderson told AUTOSPORT. "The chassis is locked down, because we were waiting to hear if the [Cosworth] engine rev limit was 20,000rpm or 18,000rpm.
"The chaps will now start building the chassis in August. We will have it rolling on the ground in late September, without bodywork or stuff, and then the bodywork will get added in October."
Anderson has said that the confirmation of the team's 2010 entry has allowed it to push ahead with the ordering of machinery it needed, which in turn will mean a recruitment drive can now get underway.
"We were only approved a few weeks ago and it wasn't prudent to order $5 million of machines until we were there," he said. "We have about 20 staff at the moment, but we have got 20 or 30 starting in August. The thing is we need people to run machines, and there was no point having them until the machines are there."
Team US F1 is expected to confirm in the next few weeks that it has secured investment from YouTube co-founder and current chief executive officer Chad Hurley.
The outfit is also close to a deal to use the Spanish Aragon track as its European base.
"It looks like it," said Anderson. "It is not signed or sealed though. We are evaluating there and Paul Ricard.
"The Aragon facility is a fantastic facility, the people there are very nice, very helpful. It is a great place for winter testing, and we would like to have our drivers based there, or at Paul Ricard, and run all the time."
New entrants seemingly keen on the F1 veterans
Jacques Villeneuve is close to securing a contract to return to Formula One with the new USF1 team in 2010, Sport Bild reported Wednesday.
The French-Canadian, now 38, last won a Grand Prix in his championship year of 1997 but subsequently drove for BAR, Renault and Sauber/BMW until 2006.
Having failed to establish a career in NASCAR, he recently attended some Grand Prix, reportedly buoyed by the reduction in downforce, the return of slick tyres and the opportunities afforded by three new teams.
Villeneuve did not refer specifically to USF1 but admitted to the magazine: "It is true, I will return to Formula One."
Sport Bild said the official announcement could be made within the next few weeks.
Click here to find out more!
The report also said USF1's first Cosworth-powered car will be ready in October, with Aragon (Spain) and Le Castellet (France) at the top of the list to be the team's European base. The cars are being designed and built in Charlotte, North Carolina.
See our F1 related articles too!
