The Tale of Four Teams: F1 Newcomers Rough Race onto the Grid

Photo Credit: Lotus Racing


Coming as news midway through the 2009 Formula 1 season, the world racing sanctioning body accepted entries of four new teams to complete in the F1 world circuit in 2010.

USF1 Team, Campos Meta, Manor Grand Prix and Lotus Racing were the successful applicants out of 15 organizations known to have made proposals to the FIA. Determined to increase the car count and team representation in the major open wheel racing series, the 4 teams brought into the series under this arrangement will become the first entries to deploy an unique effort devoted to lower cost racing. Running spec engines supplied by the Cosworth and common Xtrac racing transmissions, the financial relieve of not building these expensive car components will stride to allow these teams to be reasonably competitive at a lower annual budget than the established Formula 1 teams.

Rewarded the coveted spots on the 2010 Formula 1 grid, these four auto racing teams committed themselves to almost 9 months of work in building a grand prix racing group. In the case of three of these teams, 2/3rds of a year run sported some interesting drama.


Virgin Racing (Formerly Manor Grand Prix)

One of two teams upgrading themselves from an F3 series, Manor Grand Prix linage included the fostering of a younger Lewis Hamilton in 2004. As the team takes to the 2010 grid, Manor Grand Prix is now known as Virgin Racing after the team's name was changed to reflect the title sponsor and majority owner the Virgin Group. Signing the driver will piloted the now defunct Toyota F1 effort, the Timo Glock announcement can as one of the first driver linked to the new 2010 teams. With 36 Formula 1 race starts of experience, Glock will enjoy the lead driver position with Virgin Racing over F1 rookie Lucas di Grassi. Grassi joins the new F1 team with history running for Manor Motorsport in the 2005 Formula 3 Euroseries.


Lotus Racing

Lotus Racing has assembled their Formula 1 effort with minimal complications. Rising from the ashes of Colin Chapman's once iconic Team Lotus grand prix group, the Lotus badge returns in 2010 after a 15-year hiatus. The new incarnation of Lotus in Formula 1 is created through the united efforts of the Malaysia's Proton parent company and the crew members located in the Lotus Racing facilities in Norfolk, England. The team steadily built itself with some enviable pieces that even established teams were struggling to set in place including a dedicated team principal Tony Fernandes, the team rests on strong financial footing with corporate partners recently added CNN International as a sponsor. Mike Gascoyne took the reins of the team's Chief Technical Officer traveling with over 20 years of Formula 1 experience in working for McLaren, Tyrrell and Toyota's F1 effort. Naming veteran Formula 1 drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as pilots the Lotus' T127 race car for 2010, the Lotus Racing team should be at least a stable mid-pack grand prix team.


The USF1 Team

Equating to the biggest drama in the Formula 1 off-season, the fate of the USF1 Team had been the talk of the motorsport world. The USF1 Team had been eagerly followed by North American race fans who have long been seeking a greater presence in what is considered the World's top auto racing series. With the team's conception occurring well into 2008, the team was co-founded in February of 2009 by Formula 1 media legend Peter Windsor, former de Ferran Motorsport principal Ken Anderson, and Youtube creator Chad Hurley. As of March of 2010, USF1 appears to have withdrawn plans to contend in the upcoming Formula 1 season. Reports have indicated that staff for the team have been layoff as plans to get USF1 into Formula 1 for 2011 is being championed by Ken Anderson and Chad Hurley.

Initially plotting to feature an All-American driver lineup, the USF1 Team had been rumoured to be charming American racers AJ Almendinger Kyle Busch and Danica Patrick. 1997 F1 World Champion driver Jacques Villeneuve was also mentioned as connected to the team but the negotiations never materialized. In late January, Argentinian Jose Maria Lopez was named to one of the two vacant seats. A second driver has never been named for 2010 and Lopez has just recently been released from the team.

Stefan GP, an ambition Serbian-based F1 effort initially turned down for one of the four F1 team entries, has also been hinted to propositioning the team to sell their spot on the 2010 F1 grid. As the season opening race in Bahrain nears, the USF1 Team has officially sought a 12-month deferral from the FIA as they plan to ready the team for 2011. A revised entry list published on the Formula 1 official website March 3 excludes the USF1 Team from the car roster.


Hispania Racing F1 (Formerly Campos Meta)

Amidst the media coverage around the troubles of the USF1 Team, a similar but less featured Formula 1 story has been transpiring around Campos Meta. Founded by Adrian Campos, previously an owner of F3 and GP2 teams, Campos Meta's application to become a 2010 Formula 1 team was bolstered by the organization's plan to have reputable chassis builder Dallara supply their cars. Late last year, the team attracted some notable attention by announcing 2008 GP2 points runner-up Bruno Senna, nephew of the late Formula 1 great Aryton Senna, would debut in Formula 1 in 2010. However, as Formula 1 team planning extended beyond the new year, Campos Meta's progress apparently stalled.

By February of 2010, Campos Meta's capacity to make the 2010 Formula 1 season was in serious doubt as cash flow to the effort fell dry. Before that, F1 CEO and president Bernie Ecclestone voiced concerned about the financial strength of Campos Meta along with the USF1 team. Ecclestone's predictions have since been supported by team owner Adrian Campos confirmation the start-up team's financial issues admitting to BBC Sport "sometime we have the money sometime we don't". Realizing their inability to field a team for 2010, team financier Jose Ramon Carabante took control of the race entity recommitting the team under the new name Hispania Racing F1. Bruno Senna retains his ride and speculation has the free agent driver Jose Maria Lopez joining the Hispania Racing F1 team. As the Bahrain Grand Prix nears, the team is optimistic about completing in the 2010 Formula 1 tour.


Almost a week away from first practice during the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix race weekend, the more established teams of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull Racing is still destined to be the class of world open wheel auto racing. Making efforts to build the best teams possible, the three new teams in Formula 1 racing changes from team formulation to openly fighting for every position in the 24-car field through the season. When Lotus Racing, Hispania Racing F1 and Virgin Racing cars are finally unleashed into the 2010 Formula 1 grid, maybe through all the hard work that the upcoming grand prix season will bring, these new F1 entrants can celebrate a skillful victory in the motorsport business.

USF1 Team Stalls in Making 2010 Formula 1 Debut: Team Execs Deny Complete Closure

About two months ago, the trials and tribulations of the USF1 Team were beginning to show steps moving in the right direction. Announcing Argentinian driver Jose Maria Lopez late in January, the USF1 Team was also securing strategic corporate partnerships in building their first car inside the Charlotte, North Carolina headquarters. Since that time, there had been many warning signs indicating the inability for the USF1 Team to make the grid for the 2010 Formula 1 season opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Today (Tuesday March 2nd), the most transparent occurrence to the American race team shuttering resulted as the USF1 Team's only driver Jose Maria Lopez has been released from his contract.

While speculation existed since December on the USF1 Team's preparedness to ready their entry for 2010, team representative were refuting those claims officially. According to one media outlet, it was rumoured that the upstart Formula 1 team has yet to take delivery of their spec Cosworth engines and Xtrac gearboxes leaving their competition car incomplete. Through the USF1 team's official website, the new auto racing organization were making every attempt to show that progress was definitely being made on developing the race vehicle. Photos illustrated the team's manufacturing capacity as well as video relating to the design of vehicle aspects including the front nose section and the electrical wiring.

Despite this preparation, signs of USF1's troubles became apparent as there has yet been a sighting of the Formula 1 car. At the beginning of this year, the team tipped off an anxious crowd of American motorsport followers with a planned test of a completed vehicle on North American soil. Once scheduling a shakedown of their USF1 car at Barber Motorsport Park in early February, the month past without a single lap performed by the team.

Pledging that the USF1 Team still has life, co-team principal Ken Anderson has been insistent on mentioning that the USF1 Team organization has not folded. In fact, Anderson speaks positively about competing in the 2011 Formula 1 tour. However, these plans might depend on an investigation by the Formula 1 sanctioning body, the FIA. In recent weeks, FIA president Jean Todt has corrected a misquote that left the impression that the FIA would excuse the USF1 Team from missing the first events of the season. In fact, USF1 could face penalties for breaching the Concorde Agreement (in a nut shell, a contract that grants missive financial considerations to teams and governs the team's business within the sport).

Formula 1 One 2010: The Final Pieces

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP


With under 46 days remaining before the start lights illuminate for the Bahrain Grand Prix, some Formula 1 teams are more prepared for the start of the 2010 season than others. Two veteran F1 teams with full driver lineups for the upcoming season (Ferrari and McLaren), are set to take the wraps off new cars later this week in press unveilings.

BMW Sauber, having named Pedro De La Rosa to join Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi this past week, are due to introduce their competition vehicle next Sunday. As BMW sold their stake of the team back to original owner Peter Sauber, expect the German auto company's name to be stricken from the team's banner as the 2010 cars are planned to run customer Ferrari engines. Sauber's ceremony will take place in Valencia, Spain in coexistence with the Renault F1 team without the lavish displays once the norm for Formula 1 car unveilings. Renault F1 continues to possess one of the few vacancies left for the established Formula 1 teams alongside Robert Kubica, ironically the former driver of the BMW Sauber team. Two more teams, Williams F1 and the high-profile Mercedes GP, are slated to show off their race cars one day after in the same Spanish locale. Red Bull Racing, Force India and Lotus are scheduled to show their team colours later in the month of February.

The US F1 Team, a 2010 Formula 1 start up once questioned for whether they'll even have a car ready for the March Bahrain debut, has publicized the headway they've been making through the past month. This week, one of the biggest announcements for the American Formula 1 team is set, some media outlets jumping to name the US F1 Team's first driver ahead of an impending announcement planned for Monday January 25th. Argentinian Jose Maria Lopez, a driver who has been associated with the US F1 Team since early December, is likely to be tabbed as the freshman F1 organization's first driver hiring in a press conference in his South American homeland. Lopez credentials include two seasons of GP2 and a test role with the Renault F1 team in 2006.


2010 Formula 1 Grid (As of January 25th)

McLaren F1
1. Jenson Button
2. Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes GP
3. Michael Schumacher
4. Nico Rosberg

Red Bull Racing
5. Sebestian Vettal
6. Mark Webber

Ferrari
7. Felipe Massa
8. Fernando Alonso

Williams
9. Rubens Barrichello
10. Nico Hulkenberg

Renault F1
11. Robert Kubica
12. TBD

Force India
13. Adrian Sutil
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi

Toro Rosso
15. Sebestian Buemi
16. Jaime Alguersuari

Lotus
17. Jarno Trulli
18. Heikki Kovalainen

Campos Meta
19. Bruno Senna
20. TRD

Virgin Racing
21. Timo Glock
22. Lucas di Grassi

US F1 Team
23. *Jose Maria Lopez* (Pending January 25th Announcement)
24. TRD

Despite Stemming Rumours, US F1 Team is a Go!

As 2010 rolled in, the US F1 Team (helmed by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor) is busily working to reassure the F1 world that the upstart team has made it past new year's festivities. Co-Team Principal of US F1 Peter Windsor reaffirmed that the gears are certainly in motion for their freshman debut at the Grand Prix of Bahrain.

Windsor, in an interview with Formula1.com as well as through recent updates on the US F1 Team's now upgraded site, has dispelled rumours that his team would not be ready for the start of the F1 season in March. He addresses the allegations of "ludicrous" and offers a detailed account for US F1's short run to prep for the 2010 Formula 1 tour. Having been the colour TV commentator for Formula 1 for the Speed channel, Peter Windsor appears to be expressing his altered view of the media as a Team Principal by quipping in a blog entry "Such are the demands of modern media, however, that every passing minute is another step into history - if you’re not saying something, you’re not doing anything."

With still little information indicated about the team's livery and driver, the USF1 Team has made their first significant move early next month. At the Barber Motorsport Park located in Birmingham, Alabama, the team plans to test their race car for the very first time. As the US F1 car prepared to lap the 2.3 mile road course, the question of who will be driving the competition cars remains. The only Formula 1 team destined for the 2010 grid yet to officially name a driver, Jose Maria Lopez continues to be mentioned for one of the two spots. However, with Lopez's hiring speculated to be based greatly on a multi-million dollar sponsorship the Argentinian is reportedly bringing to US F1, Peter Windsor is quoted in saying in response to this rumour "There is no way that we would sign a driver unless we felt confident that he could do an excellent job." Windsor added that a driver lineup will be announced in short time as the US F1 Team prepares for testing in Europe in February.

As presented earlier in this posting, the US F1 website is now completely operational providing a full accounting to the team's corporate partnerships as well as their relationship with Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube. Hurley role in the US F1 Team appears to revolve around sponsorship as well as enhancing public relations with Formula 1's only North American-based team.

With their first race car built, the Charlotte-based US F1 Team is clearly on the course for joining the 2010 Formula 1 field.