FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[America]

Why doesn't North America have a driver and race car/team in Formula 1? Sure would be nice. I'm sure one of the American auto makers (say Ford) is capable of building an engine that could compete.

I find it hard to have a "favorite" driver since none are American.

[Crawf]

America tried to get a team in last year, they were allowed to compete and everything....but the team was so crap they couldn't even get a car ready in time

[andrew]

America tried to get a team in last year, they were allowed to compete and everything....but the team was so crap they couldn't even get a car ready in time

They were a step up from Stefan GP. At least US GP had a monocoque. But yes they were a pathetic over hyped shambles.

[LewEngBridewell]

Yeah USGP were meant to enter in 2010 with Lotus, Virgin and HRT. But it backfired. Was a shame, would love to have an American team in F1.

[America]

Was a shame, would love to have an American team in F1.

That blows. I mean, I have my guy I root for every week, but to have an American driver would be awesome. My instant new fan favorite, win or lose. They need to get into it. I wouldn't care if they were to finish last in every race. Just to have a little bit of home out there competing with all the other countries would be so sweet. America strives to be the best at everything. At the absolute pinnacle of motorsports racing, I can't understand why we are not in it.

Oh well, there is always Nascar. Seems America knows how to turn left.

I hate Nascar. A waste of precious race gas...

[myownalias]

Unfortunately American drivers have not been good enough to compete in F1 during the last 10 - 15 years; I would like to have an American driver on the grid but not as an also-ran.

[hypertek]

None of the American racing series are supported by the FIA.. so an american driver would have to be one that decided to go to Europe and race in one of the feeder series.

USGP failed because they could not find any big sponsors/fund the team. You would think some big american companies would jump at this chance but no one did. What sucks is they paid the entry fees for the season, then got fined when they could not make it.. I thought that was pretty harsh but that is business.

[myownalias]

USGP failed because they could not find any big sponsors/fund the team. You would think some big american companies would jump at this chance but no one did. What sucks is they paid the entry fees for the season, then got fined when they could not make it.. I thought that was pretty harsh but that is business.

I think that USGP came at the wrong time; the team was devised at the time when companies were failing left, right and centre, with the exception of Ford, American car companies needed big bailouts from the government and other companies were struggling to stay afloat; none of these powerful companies were in a position to spend millions on F1 investment!

[darwin dali]

America and Ford used to be in F1 not too long ago. Maybe after the inaugural Austin GP, we'll see some more movement over here towards an American entry be it team, manufacturer or driver.

[Hammer278]

Unfortunately American drivers have not been good enough to compete in F1 during the last 10 - 15 years; I would like to have an American driver on the grid but not as an also-ran.

There was Scott Speed for a while, he was okay for a rookie...but clutching at straws of course.

[andrew]

Ah yes, the ironically named Scott Speed.

[LewEngBridewell]

Ah yes, the ironically named Scott Speed.

Was involved in a massive half-field pile up at the start of his home race in 2006.

[madbrad]

Is it me or does it seem to anyone else that this guy thinks Ford has never been in F1 before?
Lamborghini supplied engines in F1 at a time when it was owned by Chrysler.
Ilmor is British company but has an American office and from those operations and all the American talent there is widely considered American. It was responsible for the Chevrolet and Mercedes badged engines in Champcar and other US series, and the Mercedes engines in Sauber and McLaren cars in F1. It is now wholly owned by Mercedes and is no longer called Ilmor

[andrew]

Ah yes, the ironically named Scott Speed.

Was involved in a massive half-field pile up at the start of his home race in 2006.

He was also fired by the old punch in the face method.

[madbrad]

I hate Nascar. A waste of precious race gas...

Well since the gasoline in an F1 car is the same pump fuel you put in your road car, it's impossible for Nascar(which does use specific race fuel) to waste what F1 uses. In fact, there are thousands of cars on the road now that I would consider a waste of gas, the same gas in an F1 car.