I agree about the uniforms though I don't get why you're going on about McLaren. Somebody made a little joke that a total startup isn't in uniforms like McLaren, it was a humorously absurd comparison. It's no good complaining that people are attacking your team and then attacking some other team as though that balances it. Bashing just begets bashing as we all know.

As for Brawn 09, well they were fully funded by Honda, £130m or something and they were already in a factory bigger than Ferrari's with top equipment. They didn't need sponsors.

Anyway I'm on your side, hoping they make it, but my hopes are fading with the evidence we have. Pictures with few staff, little bits of car, and no sponsors. It could all be on track under the surface, but the impression is that since they're showing us 'progress' pics, if they had two cars on course to be shipped out to the tests or races they'd be showing us a lot more of them.

We have to discount the confident words, they're a necessity with a startup irrespective of how things are actually going.

I guess you now have admitted that some people are attempting to bash the USF1 team on this thread.

Oh I agree. Everything gets bashed on here after all

I think that he did that because the comment was actually with regards to McLaren was about the professionalism of the team. I agree with you that it was an absurd comparison.

The team are talking about announcing sponsors and drivers soon (end of month) and so far I choose to believe what the team says. They are not in a situation where they have a finished car yet, as do neither of the teams AFAIK. We have however seen photos of their tub and nose and other stuff is supposedly being made as we speak (or write rather). According to Windsor's latest blog the first car is being assembled now. The team have 3 weeks to finish their first car if they are going to show up at the first test and just over two months until the first race weekend. If manufacturing of parts is on schedule that should leave sufficient time to assemble the cars.

It's gonna be a exciting few weeks before we know the answer to both the USF1 teams progress and not least also the other new teams.

Comment by USF1 in response to a poster on their Facebook page:





Source

Forget the bashing. Is it in anyone's interests for USF1 not to make it? Let's be realistic (of course they'll make it), and be hopeful (they'll last the season). I personally want all teams in.

I have doubts, but not because they are not prepare. Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson have enogh experience to make it but their low radar actions are quite suspicious.

They're allowed to fly below the radar until they get it sorted.

I'm sure they have their hands full without worrying about what we think.

We will find out what's going on in the next couple of weeks because crunch time is coming.

Expect good news!

i agree they are allowed to fly under the radar the big problem was at the begining they made a lot of statements with dates attached of what they were going to do and all of them failed to happen.
Its not the team, its not where they come from, its the simple fact of saying lots that never happened on time combined with the lack of any information as regards targets achieved that has lead to people asking the questions, and IHMO rightly so.
However i have copied over a post from another thread as it looks like something may be happening soon


lets hope this information is correct in 17 days we will know if it is correct or if people have to keep holding their breath.

Regarding the "Busy Day in the Composites Shop" photo, its not the lack of UNIFORMS that looks odd, its the lack of OVERALLS/COVERALLS.
Composite layup can be bad for your street clothes and foreign materials can be bad for the composites.
Hence its usual to protect the work and the workers from each other.
I'm just surprised that disposable gloves seem to be the only protective kit being used.
That's what I think looks a bit unprofessional.

And personally, I'd expect the workshops to be a heck of a lot busier if they are going to have a car or two ready for testing in about 5 weeks time.

I have no axe to grind - it just looks to me as though they are leaving everything to the very last minute (or later).

I think the whole idea with modern computerized design is to leave production of parts as late as possible to allow more time for design. I doubt that the other teams have their cars finished by now and just have them stacked away waiting 2-3 weeks for the official launch (if so they are running a very strange kind of business).

We must also remember that we only see very small parts of the shop, the other parts might be busy but they can't take photos there because of not wanting to reveal to much. We don't know what's going on at the rest of the factory from seeing just a tiny part of the factory...

I'm no composite expert but someone else mentioned that the process that was pictured didn't require the high protection that other parts of manufacture does.

But what would be the point of such a camouflage...???

Only playing for time...???

Did you think that maybe they posed for the photo?

What kind of camouflage are you talking about? Sorry, but I didn't get your meaning.

Sorry...as english isn´t my mother-tongue, it´s hard sometimes...

I meant...why should USF1 pretend to build a car and the F1-facilities, if they wouldn´t be able to make it to the grid anyway...???

Yes, I completely agree with you. Someone seems to think they do it as a "PR excercise".... Would be a very strange PR excercise to throw away so much money just as camouflage....

not if they still did not have the sponsors in place they would want to do all they could to show that they were ready money or no money.
After all how better to get a sponsor than to show them you are going to be on the grid and the car is being made.
ont you think any sponsor worth their salt is going to check out such things as their web site and dont you think USF1 know that?

Agreed. I've been to a couple of factories and they have proper clean room facilities, with an almost surgical level of cleanliness. People in coveralls, masks, etc.

They would certainly check out the factory as well...

So potentially only 17 days till they launch. Presumably they must be closing in a second driver deal or even signed one up, would be a bit late to still be looking. Anyone going to take a punt on who the second driver will be, I haven't got a clue myself? They would pull off a bit of a coup if they've managed to sign up Heidfeld, who is still driveless.

Is that a fuel tank?

It seems the shape for one to go behind the driver's seat etc. Or is it just a flower pot for the motorhome?

Strange that it is such a simple shape, I assumed they would make some elaborate shape that maximises fuel and has other components recessed into it as required?

Don't think it's a fuel tank, they have to be of the deformable bladder type construction

That's what I thought initially too, but it seems way too small to be the fuel tank.

Also seems a bit wide to be the base of the cockpit backing.

ATL's F1 fuel bladders which fit inside the tank can be seen here.

http://www.atlinc.com/racing.html

It is a crap site so you need to fish around a bit.

To be truly competative,... I assume that they will delay...

I thought fuel tanks are rubberised foam-filled things made by outside specialists, though I suppose they may need a c/f shell too. I was also wondering what it could be, anyway...

And I'd still like to see some suspension, sidepods, radiators and other bits.

There are some pretty shallow people in this thread. Do you cross the street when someone wearing a sweater and sporting an unshaven face is walking down the sidewalk towards you? As though what the employees wear matters in the slightest bit.

No, according to Pechito they will launch the car and drivers on 25 January. Might not be ready to test at the point though.

Sure, but F1 is such a brand conscious enterprise.

Presentation is everything, and has been for the past three decades.

If USF1 are breaking the mould in this regard, power to them,.

But that's the reason people find it all a bit weird at the moment.

I agree with you, unfortunately though from what I've seen of the business world they don't. Masses of people work in offices for corporations and multi-nationals that insist upon shirt and tie or a suit to do a job.

Funny thing is, I imagine the answer YES from a New Yorker, but not from an European.

Well, I think that the US might be different in some areas (as posted previously) and you really wouldn't want them to wear a suit and tie or a dress????


And who said that USF1 doesn't have clean room facilities or that their suppliers doesn't? Remember that USF1's business strategy involves outsourcing of some manufacturing.

I guess many of the posters will not fly Boeing planes after seeing this photo...:

They may have a clean room, but then it's strange that they are not doing their composites in there.

What is it that USF1 is waiting for Cosworth to deliver that Lotus isn't waiting for? Lotus have scheduled their first test and there is no talk about delays due to problems with Cosworth.

I worked at Williams for a couple of days in 2007.

There wasn't a uniform as such, but most of the technicians wore either Williams team gear or a sort of blue lab coat.

Pechito Lopez and James Rossiter, that is a driver pairing least likely to deliver in my books for a very very long time. Maybe the logic is to just survive, as it won't be much of a difference if you are either 2 or 3 seconds off the pace.

Well le me say,... Air Bus rules.. No boeing sucks actually those aircrafts can be build lot better, considering the mismatching interior fixing. it flys well with no accidents thatis important, I know.

USF1 must be so bad that probably not even Heidfeld wants to go there...

so?.. Who said every other team has to be like williams. This is North Carolina (NASCAR nation)

Well here's a NASCAR mechanic.

Notice anything?

I'd always fly Airbus if I had a choice.

Because of the lack of uniforms at Boeing then?

http://www.racingeagles.com/2010/01/a-open...er-windsor.html

Couldn't have said it better myself

I think what USF1 said was that they were waiting on Cosworth to deliver engines before they could have a finished car. I haven't read USF1 saying that the team will fall behind schedule (whether that means participating at the tests or being at the first race) because of Cosworth not delivering engines, just that they cannot complete the car before they have the engines.

Maybe my memory serves me wrong?

Maybe that's why they still haven't managed to fly their Dreamliner promised two years ago.

Whoops, seems they have actually done it a couple of weeks ago

I'm sure it is, but in many US city at rush hour you will see tousands of suits just like in any other part of the world. I don't think I stated anywhere that I would want them wearing a suit or tie, can't stand them myself - never owned one and never intend to!

http://www.racingeagles.com/2010/01/a-open...er-windsor.html

Reasons for Boeing's Dreamliner delays.

quote

The newness of the Dreamliner design has meant a steep learning curve for Boeing and that, and the fact that the company ventured into wide-ranging outsourcing for the first time, has led to a raft of problems.
Early delays to the 787 project were caused by shortages of parts and the difficulties of bringing together fuselage and wing structures from Japan, Italy and elsewhere in the US.

unquote

Probable reasons to be given for USF1 not being on the grid

Probable quote


The newness of the USF1 design has meant a steep learning curve for USF1 and that, and the fact that the company ventured into wide-ranging outsourcing for the first time, has led to a raft of problems.
Early delays to the project were caused by shortages of parts and the difficulties of bringing together fuselage and wing structures from Japan, Italy and elsewhere in the US.

probable unquote

Well it was you who brought up the suit and tie argument when we where discussing the clothing of the mechanics in the workshop?

No one has said that businessmenn in the US does not wear a suit and tie. It's the clothes code in the workshop that's been discussed here, and it seems like some parts of the US industry (see Boeing photo above) has a different standard than the F1 teams. This seems to be a big issue for some and it has been suggested that they are just people off the street posing for a picture (I guess that goes for the Boeing picture as well....). The lack of uniforms have been used as an argument against the teams credibility or ability to succeed.

Airbus in recent times on many levels was technically superiour to Boeing, the way they design the aircraft and it's computer systems, but that said I'm a big Boeing fan and they have catched up in recent times with some neat new planes. On safety grounds it doesn't matter that much, most big accidents nowadays are pretty much freak accidents and they are both very safe.

The thing I dislike about the Industry is that both companies are only sustained by heavy subsidies on both sides of the atlantic. Governments realise the whole economies would be a mess if we didn't have them, but them competing they have to make such big investments that without government support they couldn't be viable bussineses. In a way it is the last true tech-battle of nations, like F1 but with only 2 teambosses

But in the end I'd rather have a Lockheed if you get my drift