USF1 is here!
Founders of the first formula one team in the United States, Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, will officially start on the Formula One grid in Melbourne Australia in 2010. Ken and Peter have been quietly plugging away for the last 4 years developing their plans to run a US owned and produced race car in formula one. After obtaining major capital investment in 2009 from millionaire You Tube’s co founder Chad Hurley, their dream has finally come to fruition. With Ken’s tremendous Resume’ in Indy Car and Formula One together with Peter’s formidable Formula One experience as manager for Williams and Ferrari, Americans can finally look forward to having a serious presence in F1!
The base for the F1 Team will be in Charlotte, North Carolina on the north side of town near Speed TV’s headquarters. Peter explains that their approach to financing a F1 team will be substantially different from the current status quo in Formula One. Most Formula One Teams are either financed by a billionaire or a major car manufacturer and I suspect that they will rely heavily on US businesses and fans of motorsport much like to Nascar business model where they take advantage of the commercial side of the media to finance their operations. Certainly, the largest and most advanced wind tunnel ever built, designed by Ken Anderson himself and located in Concord Charlotte, will play a major part in the development of the USF1 car. The Windshear rolling wind tunnel is used by Nascar, IndyCar and Formula One teams as it is only one of three of it’s kind in the world.
The All-American team will sign two American drivers that have not been announced yet. Many drivers have been thrown about by Windsor and Anderson, including Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Scott Speed but no-one knows who will be given the job. Formula One drivers have been getting younger and younger over the years and weight is now more significant than ever before so there may be a lucky young rookie from the open wheeler generation that will be given the nod.
Engines will be powered by Cosworth under a leased contract. This will cut their development costs significantly and make them able to compete and a serious level. In a way, the new Formula One rules implemented in 2008-9 have lended themselves to the entry of a US formula one team as aerodynamics and chassis now play the most important role in determining a successful team. I was hoping that Mercedes would get the contract as it has the torqiest and most reliable engine on the market which gives the advantage to the slower tracks with more corners and leaves the balance and aero package to nail the high speed corners performance.
At last, the United States has entered the Formula One arena!
