well, he is ignorant enough to call stefanGP russians.

Well then, Windsor's quotes from that interview are revealing, not necessarily in a good way, but at least he's being honest and not saying "Everything's great, all going to plan". Honesty's a plus.

To me, it looks like these guys and Campos are having a tough time, more so than either anticipated, largely due to funding snags. I admit I'm not as positive that it will work out for either of them as I was, but I still expect to see USF1 and Campos on the grid for the majority of 2010 races. What happens from there is hard to say, but I'm hoping for the best for them.

Windsor complete avoidance of Ecclestone's comments about his team duly noted..

They have no date for that shakedown before Bahrain... it's easy not to miss deadlines when you don't have them but anyway it's just Windsor trying to fill us up with crap...

I'm with Ecclestone, I don't believe in their participation... though I'm ok with having a full grid if possible.

It's a wee bit more serious than that if connected blogs are getting this sort of info. It sounds to me like another businessman who doesn't want to commit the proper resources to the job and hired lousy management. And old tale in racing, but sad that better couldn't be achieved.

Belief is one thing, but having engine that can be mounted on the back of the is another, crush testing their chassis is yet another... Gonna bust sooner than later? This is 4 Feb 2010.

And Virgin passed their last crash test 2 days ago. So Feb 4th is far worse than Feb 2nd? As long as they pass their final crash test before the first race they can still race... Have Lotus passed all crash tests?

Interesting also to see how Ecclestone is such a voice of reason when he comments on USF1 and Campos (or he is quouted as making comments) but he is a fool when he talks about shortcuts on the circuits to help overtaking.

People even jumped on Stefan GP stories about Dallara without asking if it was confirmed by any other source than Stefan GP. But as soon as it is news from Campos (or USF1) it's constantly questioned...

Bernie also got it wrong with the Button-McLaren gossip

I want to see USF1 on the grid

isn't it funny ever time there is some rumors floating around. we get press releases from usf1 and campos. their press offices must be waiting the second something comes out they release a statement.

I noticed that. Oh dear.



As do I. It will be utterly intriguing to see the result of this "experiment" if you like with all-new suppliers/engineers/team from America competing at the highest level.

These rumours have been doing the rounds for a few days/last week. So I would hardly say that they release something "the second something comes out"... And do you call a interview done by Autosport to "release a statement"

So far it seems just like Autosport doing their job. Rumours flying around from different media regarding two F1 teams. Autosport calls them up and interviews them so that they can run a news story with their comments on the rumours (Autosport is a motorsport news magazine after all..).

I can't find any statements on either teams websites...

Gee Windsor's comments are a worry IMHO. I think they are 50/50 to be there in Bahrain, almost certain for the first Euro race though.

Of bigger concern is that is could be absolute amature hour, a dozen seconds off the pace, no spares, terrible reliability, bad drivers ............... you just get the feeling this is gonna get messy.

The saddest thing is that Dave Richards and prodrive are just sitting there .... what a waste.

U.S. Formula One Team Faces Massive Time Crunch

Just like they where in 2008 when they HAD and entry into F1

Link's dead

Why?

If they don't do any tests I agree that the first few races will probably be a bit embarrassing with lot's of small, or large, niggles to sort out.

But why should their design be worse than Lotus, Virgin or Campos?

Remember when Renault ran two different development teams, one for each year. Problem you have I think for 2011 is the rules are going to change, so you have to hold development until you know what is going on. Certainly they can start working on gearboxes, playing with air intakes, cooling solutions, etc. But as far as developing the diffuser goes, we have to see the new rules for no DDD or DDDD or DDDDD as it seems the case this year.

Oh No! the sky is falling.

Dave had an entry and why is he sitting on his hands?

The blog basically just repeated the same stories about requesting to miss the first races, no crash tests etc. Nothing new apart from a few blatant errors. But none the less it seems it's easier to believe a badly written and factually wrong blog, than it is to believe what Windsor and Campos say to Autosport...

Campos I agree but both Virgin and Lotus appear well ahead of US F1,.

I think Bruno in the Dallara might run well, just knowing what Dallara is capable of in the past. It is possible if they make it, he could be the fastest of the new teams.

What happened with the rumors of the second driver being signed for USF1? I saw something from Marca or some other newspaper a few days back, any more news on that?

Some interesting tidbit on the trans and suspension

Have you seen any testing times or reliability data for Virgin and Lotus since you think that they "appear well ahead" of US F1?

With the information we have today it would be just like me saying that Force India appears well ahead of Toro Rosso

It was dead or something but I got it to work a while ago. After reading I wish it had stayed dead. His Saab-Spyker saga writeup is some of the biggest bullcrap I have ever read... guess whenever he's right he just gets lucky

I have seen the Virgin car, i have seen drivers, I have seen ... progress. you get almost none of that from USf1.

I have also seen the Virgin car, that's about it really. How can you tell that the Virgin car is better than the Dallara or USF1 car? Apart from the Virgin car what "progress" had we seen from Virgin or Lotus before Virgins launch (which failed spectacularly btw...)

I was not questioning your driver claims btw.

It's back up now (seems a bit erratic, just as the content of the blog maybe..)

What he wrote about USF1:

Well for starters, the Virgin car has passed a crash test and is doing laps of Silverstone right fecking now ....... the USF1 car is in bits on a shop flooe in North Carolina. The Virgin car is backed by a seriou sinvestor with serious cash, the US F1 car ... well .. .who's involved exactly? Some mystery signing Windsor alluded to today with no name. Weird.

Yes, yes. I know. But by the same logic the Toyotas should have been the quickest car... The fact that the Virgin has passed the crash tests and are lapping Silverstone now, does NOT make it a faster car than any of it's competitors. That's just like saying that the Toro Rosso is a better car than the Force India (or maybe even Red Bull) because the Toro Rosso have been launched and have lapped Valencia.

My point is that neither of us know which of the 4 new teams will come up with the quickest car. The first to launch might not be the first to cross the finish line...

Virgin has also stated that they will probably have the lowest budget of all teams in 2010.

But Virgin is not late because they have everything n order and are refining a design they trust because they've been doing this for 20 years, they are late because they are not ready in any way, shape or form.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81275



Anyway, you still have not made any convincing arguments as to why the USF1 car will be "dozens of seconds" of the pace. That the team is running late in introducing their car does NOT equal a bad design. Or does Red Bulls late launch also mean that the car will be a dog?

However I think it's time to just agree to disagree and move on to other discussions

So you're trying to tell me, they have built a car, actually muliple cars, they have spares, they have a basic design they are happy with and are just refining it for pace, they have their funding totally in order, they have their drivers acclimatised to team procedures and the testing program ..... i could go on and on, they are just flat out not ready.

We are NOT discussing if the team is ready at this stage or not We where discussing the cars pace and reliability.

NO. I am NOT trying to tell you that they have all the above cars and parts finsihed. I have not said anything about finances (but do you know they DON'T have finances?). Where did I say all the things you say

The team are saying that they have a basic design they are happy with, but so would any team at this stage.

What I was questioning was your claim that the car would be "dozens of seconds of the pace" and how you could know that at this stage. This question you STILL have not answered. And don't try to avoid the question by claiming that I say things that I haven't. It reflects rather badly on you ability to argue your statement about the cars pace.

I have tried to point out that, even though the team is not ready at this point and have not launched their car yet, does not equal their car being "dozens of seconds off the pace".

I have NOT said the team is ready, have multiple cars built or have spares to last the season. I have however argued that even though a car is launched later than another teams car that does NOT make it a slower car (as this seemed to be your arguments to my questions).

My question to you is to back up your statement about the car being so far off the pace and lack reliability.

Can you please do that instead of avoiding the subject and putting words in my mouth.

I said 'Dozen" not dozens.

bahrain is a long track, 12 seconds off the pace, I would not be shocked to see them nudge that at all.

OK, 12 seconds

And your argument for them being 12 seconds off the pace is?

How many seconds will it be behind the Virgin car?

So, the two British teams are up and running, whereas the two non-British teams are floundering?

/ducks

Let's wait until after the first races and then at the end of the season again. Let's see how the power balance is then (the British have the historical advantage here).

Yes, I think.

Not entirely surprising as the UK has far more resources readily available to them. As for who is ahead and behind, just because your car is available to take pictures doesnt mean it's any more reliable, better designed etc. then the teams that haven't shown up yet.

Not sure what Windsor was implying about it may not look pretty.. seems like a stupid comment to make .. sure they may be trying to set the bar low but that's a bit out there. This is FORMULA 1 after all.. not a karting series.

Feb is shaping up to be one of the most exciting months in F1 in a very long time.

As for Prodrive and SGP etc.. no one can say they would be any further along or better prepared then the situation currently facing Lotus, USF1 or Campos. So why bother making it seem like they are even an option at this point.

I would guess that USF1 will be around 1 minute 32 seconds off the pace in Bahrain..not 12 seconds... As they will not make the grid...This has been a train wreck since the beginning and it looks like it is not getting any better. Bernie spouting off every other day stating that both Campos and USF1 are not viable concerns should be cause for alarm. Yes he is a twit of gigantic proportions, but he does have dealings with these teams. I hope both Campos and USf1 manage to make the grid, but so far it is looking less likely as teams are on track, releasing photos of an ACTUAL CAR, with reconizeable drivers signed in uniforms etc etc... USF1 and Campos have shown us what exactly so far? As for Red Bull launching late....they are a real team that was contending for both titles last year. They also launched their 2009 car late to maximize time for Newey in the wind tunnel. Why should we be concerned with them launching their 2010 challenger next week? USF1 and Campos don't seem to have team shirts made yet, let alone built a car to take the grid next month.... I hope they both prove me wrong and make it.

Windsor's comment is probably not meant literally that the cars will not be pretty. I guess it's more that the team will not look as professional as the established teams. They will probably mess up and do mistakes. That's how I understood his statement.

I think he was talking about the team uniforms actually, they will not look pretty. Or the car will just have flowvis as the paint and main sponsor, unless McLaren objects.

No one is concerned about Red Bull launching their car late. I just used it as an example to imply that it DOES NOT mean that your car is bad, even if it's launched later than the other teams cars (as that seemed to be the argument that was the basis for the USF1 being slower...).

USF1 have shown us a few videos of their factory, a few videos of their car being assembled, a few photos of their survival cell, their basic design to Racecar Engineering, a Facebook and YouTube profile with updates. But no finished car yet.

So far I believe the train wreck has more to do with peoples anti Windsor comments and abounding rumours, rather than what the team itself is actually doing. It's starting to look more worrying lately with the late launch and lack of testing before Bahrain. But apart from that, what is the train wreck? And even though rumours about the team arise on a constant basis, that should not be used to judge the team. Let's judge the team on it's own merits and not on all the rumours.

So, compared with Lotus, Campos and Virgin; what makes the USF1 team a train wreck?

I saw a question that someone asked Hurley a few days ago via twitter, and that does not match what the Bear is saying. I call full on rumor, sadly we can probably just call the team and ask how things are going, maybe I should do so? What questions should I ask, can I say I am with the semi-non-official USF1 thread on the Autosport forums? lol

How about I call for ad space on the car to promote my video game, I can maybe afford something under the car.

Yes, please call the team and ask them how far the first car has progressed. What state of completion is it in? What about the second car? Have they received the Cosworths? The gearboxes, are they ready or still being built?

What about Best Buy sponsorship

And let them know that a few spy shots on this BB would be appreciated

Wouldn't it be a simple matter to park outside their "factory" and count the personnel going in and out as well as any deliveries? Then go through their trash! Simple corporate espionage would determine their state of readiness.

We are looking for volunteers to dumpster dive.....

From what I understand is you can actually just walk into the factory, I wish someone that lived close would try. Maybe I need to read the Speed boards and see if anyone has done this yet, I live in Texas so it is a bit of a trip. One that my wife would not justify at this point, but if I lived close, heck I would offer to wrench for them. I am sure I can assemble bearing holders, or put tear-offs on the #2 drivers helmet.

So they have a helmet and are just looking for a bloke who's head fits the helmet? That's why it's taking so long then ;)

What's annoying is that 2 teams are having problems and only 1 team ready to replace them.

This season is starting to go downhill.

Cinderfella