Peter Windsor was team manager for Williams.

I think Lopez should be known as P-Lo!

Found this also on Racecar Engineering on Twitter:

Sounds like this USF1 car is something to see. Lets hope they make it.

Lopez is good enough to put it on the front row in Bahrain.

And General Manager at Ferrari (I think they run in F1 don't they?).

Ah true, but he hasn't set up his own team before.

So now he's realising the grand undertaking he's come through. But at least the first car is complete.

Just admit that you are wrong and the Windsor "realizes" far more about F1 and building an F1 team than you ever will. You're making yourself look foolish. You don't need to like the guy (whom you probably have never met) to appreciate his dream or talent - look at Jean Todt or Michael schumacher, both (IMO) I would not consider sportsman, but both immensly talented individuals. It's time to grow up.

If they show the car AND fire it up, I will be impressed. If they just announce Lopez, I'll still be nervous.

looks like all windsor haters failed badly

Yes..this is all well and good..

But..what about the important stuff...you know..

Will the hillbillies have presentable uniforms..or Bib Overalls..?

And where are the diagrams for the moonshine compartments..

Dam...they may just be ah..what do you call it...?

Oh yeah...a race team..

yep the most important stuff about race team. F.U.C.K.I.N.G Uniforms.

No, no, no.. T.E.A.M Uniforms Let's hope that they don't have a requirement for uniforms for that other activity

Just kidding. The uniform comments have been one of the many highlights on this thread

And, why are some commenting that Windsor have only recently realized that he is in charge of a race team and how daunting that is? Have there been any developments these last few days or weeks that indicates that Windsor have only now realized what the teams goal is (to have two cars and a race team ready for Bahrain 2010)?

Oh, yeah! Did no one else notice that picture of Kobayashi getting his seat fitting in the Sauber thread? Notice how those two mechanics doing the work had no uniforms on!? What a tragedy! Burn Hinwil to the ground!

Now the second seat for USF1 is going to be a complete mystery. I don't think I've heard any other name other than Lopez who was in serious contention for the drive at USF1.

James Rossiter is a name that has been mentioned in almost every article about USF1 and drivers in the last weeks. Even though I would prefer an experienced F1 driver as the teams other driver...

Look, I'm sorry about my Windsor comments. You don't all need to have a go at me.

Anyway, the only other driver linked to the #23 seat is Rossiter I think.

With the supposed $8M from Lopez..and the goal(rumored ?) of $10M from two drivers..perhaps a more experienced but less well funded driver may be a good thought.

Someone experienced in F1 setup. It would be especially important during testing I would imagine. Perhaps that was part of the long negotiations..getting enough from Lopez to afford an experienced shoe without a Big warchest. With a more experienced set up driver..the results could also benefit Lopez..so in a way he is contributing to both the engineering and his own possible success.
The Lopez camp would obviously be concerned that their $8 was buying a second seat..and the experienced shoe would get preferred setup and 1st status as he was instrumental in the setup.

I would also imagine that the Lopez camp would be concerned that IF there was success by the team..especially the other driver..that Lopez could be replaced in second year with another higher rated (experienced) driver as the team now would be more attractive to Big Sponsorship. Therefore the Lopez experiment would be a costly $8M one year test session for Lopez.
The contingent year/obligations would be interesting reading..

All conjecture of course..

We'll see with the next driver announcement.

Maybe Heidfeld backed by Mercedes, doubt it though.

I'm rooting for Heidfeld too - if they are looking to score a few points this year he is the guy to get. They probably can't afford to actually pay him, but maybe a little equity in the company or something would do the trick.

Question..

Of the available drivers..
Who is the best setup driver available ?
Who would be the most consistent performer..that given a reliable car..could get the most laps and therefore feedback (especially early season)..so as to give the team most data and improvement ?

I am not aware of the rep as per this with the drivers available..

Sato?
Heidfeld ?

I would guess. a seat on USF1..even as a new team..would be better than watching a year of your limited seat time evaporate..

On a different note..

If it was all about the money..and PR..
What could be more interesting than Petrov with supposed big GasBags$$ of cash..
And a Russian driver in a USF1 car...

Priceless PR..!!

Cold War Kumbaya..

Why would Petrov wanna race at USF1 when he still got a chance at Renault? Since it looks like a pay driver will end up getting that spot (Hope it will be Sato though).

If they are after an experienced developer they should go for Davidson, developed the Honda and Super Aguri and is a good solid driver who keeps it on the road

Except that James Allen is wrong on de al Rosa.

The story in this week's Autosport magazine says that de la Rosa had far more money than Fisichella, even with the Italian's Ferrari backing.

So, Sauber chose De la Rosa over Fisichella because the former had more cash then? Saubers financial situation can't be very good then, or?

I'm not trying to pick a fight, but what exactly has Anthony Davidson developed over the years besides under-achieving Honda's and customer-car Super Aguri's?

I think just because you're a test driver for a long time, doesn't necessarily mean you've become a development/setup guru.

EDIT: Though I guess it could be argued that he brings the experience of having been a part of an established team and can give insight into how it was run, but so can Peter Windsor.

Put yourself in any of these team owners position - it would be damn hard for me to turn down €15m. I'd be scrambling to get it. You could hire a Petrov and an established driver that could maybe bring €2m sponsorship along with them and be set for the year. Petrov would be very tempting (there's nothing free in this world too though).

Exactly.

Sauber took the chap with the most cash.

I'd still like to see Villeneuve in the seat. He's a World Champ, he's good at setup, the new regs should suit him, he knows P-Lo, he's North American and he would bring a ton of exposure to the team.

but problem with jaque is that he has no sponsor money to provide, he couldn't get the sponsorship to run in nascar. i am sure usf1 would sign him if he brought in money.

We don't know that for sure, and JV has been working with Barry Green who has very good relationships with Ken and Peter.

Davidson will almost certainly move to DTM with Audi this year.

Indeed, I think if I was going to hire a driver as bad on paper as Lopez though, I think I'd hold the announcement until I could announce the credible other driver alongside them.

According to the Automóvil Club Argentino USF1 will receive the Cosworth engines in mid February and they are expecting to start testing on February 19th or 20th.

WTF?
Cosworth engines were supposed to be made and ready to ship a week ago?

I had read that too... mmm.. someone is lying or making a mistake I guess...

Well, either the bill is not paid or the engines went over by ship, which can take some time ...

They're just not going to make it I'm afraid. Too many things coming late, with too many question marks. If they do actually make it to the grid, it will be sad to watch.

maybe they cant afford to get delivered by plane amateurs

Ship should be ~5-6 days then customs, then trucking to Charlotte = 12-15 days.

huh? They're taking the engines for a trucking tour around the country?

I would wait before believing these news out of Argentina, some others said they would fire up the car Monday..

Ok, I doubt that when the schedule is so packed that they're going to transport the engines on LAND... hell, a one way flight + significantly less trucking distance is probably way less costly than boat + long distance trucking.

I was thinking exactly that. I think this is all a bit of misinformation.

Source?

The only thing I'm able to find coming out of Argentina in the last few days is that Lopez will start testing around the 15th of February and that the team will use "Ford Cosworth" engines.

Do you have a link to the story about engine delivery?

HAHAHAHAHAHA...now is the engines being late with no payment, Windsor is so slim with cash that they are moving them by donkeys?!!

Try harder guys.....yeah, the uniforms may not be ready.....c'mon guys, think of something better.

Well I don't think that Charlotte is a big shipping port (I'll check), so I would think it would be Jacksonville (maybe Savannah or Charleston?) then trucked to Charlotte after going through customs.

I'm not saying they were shipping, for all I know they were loaded on 767. I was merely commenting on the time frame IF they were shipped.

I would think Lopez's manager has a better understanding of what is happening than anyone on this BB that's for sure.

Holy crap FORD Cosworths - they really are going cheap

jk

I hope the USF1 monocoque is very roomy, bcs J-Lo... well "Baby got back".

Sad to watch? Why? Because???

Priority air cargo from Gatwick is about US$4.00 a pound. From Heathrow it's a bit cheaper at around US$3.00 a pound. Reserved is less than that, about US$2.00 a pound. I used our internal UPS account software to calculate. The lumps ship in a case and IIRC from the Champ Car era for that design the shipping weight was around 600 lbs or so. It's a leased product for use abroad so the customs will be a bit different than a straight import of goods. I'd reckon it will be on an ATA Carnet or similar temporary import bond.

And another point is that USF1 is leasing the engines (as you said). I guess that the lease contact also includes freight and that USF1 probably does not pay individual feight costs. Cosworth supplies engines and support through the season, which includes personell from Cosworth at start ups at the factory etc. Maybe some also believe that Cosworth personell is shipped over the Atlantic on steam boats to keep costs down for USF1...

The next conclusion being made is probably that the drivers have to hitchhike or run a bicycle from one race to the other and work at McDonalds during weekdays...

Is it funny to anybody that this latest leak of an announcement coming monday, along with ancillary rumors, is followed by more conjecture that it really means that USF1 doesn't have money for engines, and is therefore not going to make it?

I mean, come on, this is getting ludiculous [a new word i'm coining].