Grand Prix Rejects

It would appear there are now another 3 team slots available on the grid for 2010. I think it's worth analyzing each of the announced potential entrants.

I'll start with Prodrive / Aston Martin / United Arab Emirates:

This would have the extensive engineering support of Prodrive, along with their manufacturing capabilities and a base in Motorsport Valley. Prodrive already carries out sub-contracting work for Renault. David Richards has commented that finance could be an issue, so he's off in the UAE knocking on doors.
On a strictly personal level, it pisses me off that they didn't overcome the customer car issues to enter in 2008. Another team could have done it, but Prodrive appeared to be the strongest on paper.

Who wants to do the same for USGPE, Lola, Super Aguri, iSport, this Irish project with Mark Gallagher and whatever else anyone can think of?

prodrive going into f1 may stuff subaru getting back into wrc next year. Prodrive did the subbey wrc team for a hell of a long time and subbey may not want anyone else do do it for them.

Prodrive ran both BAR and Subaru for a few years so I'm sure they can do both efforts now as long as Subaru pays up.

Will we see another iteration of the failed Subaru F1 engine?

USGPE:

The team was created by SPEED pitlane reporter and press conference interviewer Peter Windsor and Haas CNC Racing technical director Ken Anderson in 2009. The team was originally to be called USF1 when Bernie showed up and said he owned the term F1 (We have to change the F1 Rejects name too now don't we! ). The team has been confirmed to be running Cosworth Engines. It is to be run under the slogan Made in America (actually the car's are made in China), with American drivers and such. Their facilities are to be based in Charlotte, North Carolina with a secondary base in Spain.

Concluding Notes: Well it's a good idea but I think the trouble will be finding American drivers. Michael Andretti? Marco Andretti? (insert name) Andretti? Danica Patrick? Kyle Busch? Good luck Peter, but that will be hard. Cosworth is back too!

tristan1117 wrote:USGPE:

The team was created by SPEED pitlane reporter and press conference interviewer Peter Windsor and Haas CNC Racing technical director Ken Anderson in 2009. The team was originally to be called USF1 when Bernie showed up and said he owned the term F1 (We have to change the F1 Rejects name too now don't we! ). The team has been confirmed to be running Cosworth Engines. It is to be run under the slogan Made in America (actually the car's are made in China), with American drivers and such. Their facilities are to be based in Charlotte, North Carolina with a secondary base in Spain.

Concluding Notes: Well it's a good idea but I think the trouble will be finding American drivers. Michael Andretti? Marco Andretti? (insert name) Andretti? Danica Patrick? Kyle Busch? Good luck Peter, but that will be hard. Cosworth is back too!

I think if they did Kyle Busch as a test driver (he hasn't raced open-wheelers any time recently, but the kid is supremely talented), Danica as one member of the team, and then picked up an established car developer like Fisichella, Ralf, or Rubens, they'd be pretty set for year one.

And lets face it, in this scenario, Danica Patrick is most definitely a pay-driver.

Ideally, what Peter and Company Should do is, get Scott Speed from NASCAR and Red Bull, and then find a decent established F1 driver....Rubens, Wurz, etc. and an American or 2 Test Driver(s).........

Speed has F1 experience and would be familiar with the atmosphere and could be used to help acclimate the Testers to F1, and your Foreign driver would be used to help develop the car....run this setup for 2-3 years and then go full bore into your All-American Team............

The4 problem with trying to go 100% USA off the bat, is there is only 1 driver in the country who has the experience and it's been 2 years since he's been there.....

Fitch wrote:Ideally, what Peter and Company Should do is, get Scott Speed from NASCAR and Red Bull, and then find a decent established F1 driver....Rubens, Wurz, etc. and an American or 2 Test Driver(s).........

Speed has F1 experience and would be familiar with the atmosphere and could be used to help acclimate the Testers to F1, and your Foreign driver would be used to help develop the car....run this setup for 2-3 years and then go full bore into your All-American Team............

The4 problem with trying to go 100% USA off the bat, is there is only 1 driver in the country who has the experience and it's been 2 years since he's been there.....

That's not true. We still have Michael, Mario, and Eddie Cheever too!

..who could realistically Race........

Fitch wrote:..who could realistically Race........

They had Superlicenses...

We should know soon ...

Another month an a half to wait? *sigh*

There's just no satisfying some people, is there? Did it occur to you that maybe they have a hell of a lot of work to get done before then?

By my very rough estimation, the timer will expire some time around 3pm Greenwich time on the 21st of June, which co-incides nicely with the British Grand Prix. Given that Dave Richards was going to annouce Prodrive's previous Formula One ambitions at the British GrandPrix - which would serve as their home event - it's not really surprising that they're timing this decision for the same weekend.

Although it shold be noted that the people who posted that website on another forum - F1 Fanatic - commented that a WHOIS search revealed the owner of the website is someone apparently unaffiliated with Prodrive or Aston Martin, so this may very well be a fake.

Captain Hammer wrote:We should know soon ...

"In a month and a half, the Aston-Martin Toaster DBF1 will be debuting in you local Asda. Power, Beauty and Soul - at your breakfast table"

Fitch wrote:Ideally, what Peter and Company Should do is, get Scott Speed from NASCAR and Red Bull, and then find a decent established F1 driver....Rubens, Wurz, etc. and an American or 2 Test Driver(s).........

Speed has F1 experience and would be familiar with the atmosphere and could be used to help acclimate the Testers to F1, and your Foreign driver would be used to help develop the car....run this setup for 2-3 years and then go full bore into your All-American Team............

The4 problem with trying to go 100% USA off the bat, is there is only 1 driver in the country who has the experience and it's been 2 years since he's been there.....

I think they should have announced their intentions earlier, formed an agreement with a GP2 team for this season to get their drivers experience and then bring them up to F1 (admittedly fast-tracked into failure). The current problem with Speed is that he's on Red Bull's books. Now there was a mighty quick driver who was on the energy drink battalion. AJ Allmendinger would be worth a shot and has expressed interest in the project. Like Speed, he's known to have a attitude issues but which Americans haven't, honestly? Both F1 Andrettis, Speed, Allmendinger, Hunter-Reay, and Patrick are known for this.

Townsend Bell did some straight line testing for BAR a few years ago and has F3000 experience, but that was many moons ago. Patrick is probably a shoe in, given the media exposure and sponsorship opportunities (GoDaddy.com?). As Fitch later wrote, the problem is experienced and/or relevant American drivers. Windsor confirmed he will have two American drivers, so unless he's contacting Scott Speed, we're looking at two debutants who may not even deserve Superlicenses (Patrick, here's looking to you!)

In any case, there's a good chance of more reject teams coming into the sport!

Actually, new teams will need to prove to the FIA and FOM that once the money they will be paid to help them get started ends - after their first year - then they'll be able to stay afloat on their own.

Captain Hammer wrote:Actually, new teams will need to prove to the FIA and FOM that once the money they will be paid to help them get started ends - after their first year - then they'll be able to stay afloat on their own.

Stay afloat on their own, but that of course doesn't mean they have to be succesful.

James "Orgasm" Allen claims on his blog that

James Allen wrote:I understand that two teams, Lola and USGPE have paid deposits on a supply of Cosworth engines, so they appear to be serious about coming in.

We are through the Lola looking-glass, people

hclw wrote:James "Orgasm" Allen claims on his blog that

James Allen wrote:I understand that two teams, Lola and USGPE have paid deposits on a supply of Cosworth engines, so they appear to be serious about coming in.

We are through the Lola looking-glass, people

Maybe they can even, i don't know, get past the first race this time around

They got to the second race...

AS for potential USGPE drivers, has anyone considered Liz Halliday?
She does have extensive European racing experience and for the past couple of seasons has raced in LMP1 which is the next fastest car in terms of lap times to F1, so she could be a good fit

I believe the plan is for USPGE to run a kind of reality television show. Not like "American Idol" in racing cars where they take an average citizen and turn them into a Formula One driver, but where they invite several racing drivers - names like Connor Daly and Marco Andretti have been thrown about - and put them through their paces, competing against each other for the two seats (although I'm pretty sure the public won't be voting them out); it's designed to generate a little more interest in the sport.

I'm not at all convinced by the US F1 entry I'm afraid.

If they believe that they are going to manage to be competitive, and field two American drivers successfully, in their first season I think they are going to be very disappointed. Many an Indycar driver had tried his hand at F1 with questionable levels of success. Yes, Villeneuve was world champion, but I never felt he was that convincing on a consistent basis, and his drives with BAR rather highlighted that in my view, while Alessandro Zanardi and Sebastian Bourdais (thus far), didn't translated/haven't translated their Indycar form to F1, and where else can they look for American single seater drivers?

As for some of the other possible entries, David Richards plan seems solid if he can find the necessary financial backing. He is known to have unfinished business with F1, so maybe this will be his opportunity to get back into it as a team boss.

If Lola come back, let's hope it's a lot better than their 1997 effort, and their 1993 partnership with Scuderia Italia. Mind you, they couldn't do any worse surely?

I feel that any GP2 entrants would be taking a big gamble entering F1, but if they have enough backing, and don't come in with too high a level of expectation, one or two may have the potential to become solid midfielders.

Irisado wrote:I'm not at all convinced by the US F1 entry I'm afraid.

If they believe that they are going to manage to be competitive, and field two American drivers successfully, in their first season I think they are going to be very disappointed. Many an Indycar driver had tried his hand at F1 with questionable levels of success. Yes, Villeneuve was world champion, but I never felt he was that convincing on a consistent basis, and his drives with BAR rather highlighted that in my view, while Alessandro Zanardi and Sebastian Bourdais (thus far), didn't translated/haven't translated their Indycar form to F1, and where else can they look for American single seater drivers?

The name Conor Daly has been thown about, the son of former F1 driver Derek Daly and a driver in the Star Mazda Series.

im not convinced by the US F1 entery eaither.....

will they have all american sponsors???

American F1 Idol anyone? *playing theme music*

If I recall correctly, AJ Allmendinger was doing OK in Champ Car, but he's got a permanent NASCAR ride now, after a troubled debut season that was dominated by DNQs. But after the team temporarily replaced him with veteran Mike Skinner, he moved the car up enough in the points standings to be a regular qualifier - only to be dropped in favour of Scott Speed. Speed, on the other hand, has yet to make the cut again to becoming a regular qualifier. But he doesn't look like he would be available for USGPE either.

If the goal of USGPE is to hire one experienced veteran driver from F1 and a popular rookie from the US, they are basically looking for what Yuji Ide was to Formula Nippon fans when Super Aguri entered. But will USGPE be so daring and put a NASCAR driver into one of their cars?

Entires fo the 2010 Formula One season close on May 29th. I suspect it's going to be a busy month.

StoneColdSpider wrote:will they have all american sponsors???

Yes, though I doubt Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be gracing their sidepods.

Yannick wrote:American F1 Idol anyone? *playing theme music*

If I recall correctly, AJ Allmendinger was doing OK in Champ Car, but he's got a permanent NASCAR ride now, after a troubled debut season that was dominated by DNQs. But after the team temporarily replaced him with veteran Mike Skinner, he moved the car up enough in the points standings to be a regular qualifier - only to be dropped in favour of Scott Speed. Speed, on the other hand, has yet to make the cut again to becoming a regular qualifier. But he doesn't look like he would be available for USGPE either.

If the goal of USGPE is to hire one experienced veteran driver from F1 and a popular rookie from the US, they are basically looking for what Yuji Ide was to Formula Nippon fans when Super Aguri entered. But will USGPE be so daring and put a NASCAR driver into one of their cars?

Please God, Kyle Busch.

For me, it all comes down to the drivers. I believe USGPE may have some success, as in score a few points, if they get some experienced F1 drivers. However, if they go for just some good IRL drivers, I doubt they'll last more than a year.

Henrique wrote:For me, it all comes down to the drivers. I believe USGPE may have some success, as in score a few points, if they get some experienced F1 drivers. However, if they go for just some good IRL drivers, I doubt they'll last more than a year.

I think that at least one of the teams that's going to get awarded a berth will go belly-up before the first race of year two.

The Only NASCAR drivers that USF1 will hire will be Scott Speed or AJ WAllmendinger.......Those are the Only 2 REALISTIC and reasonable Choices.............They also will NOT, I Repeat WILL NOT hire Danica Patrick........She's not that great of a Road Racer.....

My realistic view is that they will hire Scott Speed, in some Driving Capacity, and Pull a young driver from one of the Open Wheel feeder series....Probably a couple of the A1GP Drivers, Jonathon Summerton, J.R. Hildebrand, or Phil Giebler.......

I doubt they pull more then 1 "Big-Name Driver"......

Marco Andretti will NOT go to USF1, Him, and his Dad are too big of Asses to allow him to race in F1 in anything but the Top Level Team...so unless he's racing with Brawn, Ferrari or Red Bull.....don't count on ever seeing him in F1.......

Fitch wrote:Marco Andretti will NOT go to USF1, Him, and his Dad are too big of Asses to allow him to race in F1 in anything but the Top Level Team...so unless he's racing with Brawn, Ferrari or Red Bull.....don't count on ever seeing him in F1.......

Without knowing the Andretti Familyties well, I'd guess his dad is Michael?

I think Michael wont let him go to F1 for the sheer fact that he doesn't want him either A) Make the Andretti name even more of a joke by repeating his own "season" in F1. or B) Doesn't want Marco to make HIS F1-escapade look even more ridiculous by actually being succesfull

The first United States Grand Prix Engineerng drawings are complete.

DonTirri, yes.


Captain Hammer... hell yeah!

For USGPE I would suggest Sebastien Bourdais because of his F1 experience, and that he's more than likely going to be out at Toro Rosso at the end of the year. Plus he's had his best success in the United States winning four staight Champ Car so bing involved with the states might revitalize him. The other in my opinion should be Indycar series driver Graham Rahal who is the son of F1 Reject and 86 Indy 500 driver Bobby Rahal. He's only 20 years old but he is the most talented driver from the United States right now and won his first Indycar series race he competed in last year. And if you want to see his great car control then check this out from Indy 500 practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=167Gl34_owQ

So you want Bourdais, a driver who has been upstaged by not one, but two rookie drivers in as many years going to a new team that needs solid and reliable performances, not someone circulating at the back.

Well...yeah. Bourdais' teammate last year was Sebastian Vettel and he had driven 6 or 7 races and is one of the most talented drivers to come in years and won last year. Also, i think Buemi has talent (liked him in GP2) and has a done well this year when nothing was expected of him. Bourdais did have some good performances last year and he should of had a podium at Spa if it didn't start raining on the final lap and fell to seventh, got screwed over by the marshalls in the japanese Grand Prix by spinning Massa who cut in front of him, and had a lot of bad luck as well in a couple of other races. Plus this year's Toro Rosso (eventhough it comes from the creators of the RB5) is not a world beater. Yes he is a bit of a crybaby but I rate him highly enough that he should get another shot in F1 unless the gap between him and Buemi hits Nelson Piquet Jr status. And being with a team based out of the US might give him the spark he needs.

Scott Speed has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to go back to F1. So what they're going to need is ... well, either Kyle Busch or a couple of high ranking IRL drivers.

I really hope Busch takes the opportunity so he can go out there, flunk, and then whine about it. Speed is out of the question for the USGPE drive unless he makes a radical shift in attitude. Allmendinger isn't too settled in his #44 Dodge in NASCAR, but he's going to be there for quite a while.

Danica Patrick... I don't know. I can see it happening, but I can't see it resulting in much other then a big big flop, because Danica Patrick is a better oval racer than she is a road racer.

Experienced F1 drivers will be tough to come by, but I think the best choice will be someone with F1 experience, albeit not too much, that's raced in the US... so what about Robert Doornbos?

Cynon wrote:Experienced F1 drivers will be tough to come by, but I think the best choice will be someone with F1 experience, albeit not too much, that's raced in the US... so what about Robert Doornbos?

Taking a former F1 turned Indycar driver, such as Doornbos could make sense, especially when you consider he has been driving in A1 GP too, so he's not exactly rusty, when it comes to racing outside of the US, but I thought their policy was they wanted two American drivers?

The way things are going, maybe they will try to persuade Montoya to make a come back! (joke)