Anderson was at ligier in 1989, but as a suspension technician. Think about it, an american tech director at magny cours in france, the sob wouldn't even made himself understood there at the time. Guy ligier himself was in charge of the F1 project, KA says so himself in the grandprix article.

KA don't even have an engineering degree.

Raz

I was only 13 in '96 but I followed AOWR as close as I follow F1 now and for the life of me I can't remember KA being mentioned. Especially as the Brawn or Newey of Indy.

I don't think Ligier moved to Magny Cours until 1991, but I take your point.

Let me Google that for you:



Source: http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00017.html

Assuming the Dallara car is just waiting to be paid-for, USF1 are the only team (new or not) having serious on the technical side, or problems with putting an actual car together.. unless we believe Windsor and it's just because they simply chose to put 'massive development time' into it..

A bit early for the Anderson and son praise IMHO...

Does anyone know when they actually started on the design.

Meh, you're both right I guess..

Anderson: "Basically Guy oversees the whole project. We've been so flat out, we really haven't had time to say 'Okay, you're the boss man'. We're all pulling our share of the load."

Exactly... financial problems (even in this current economic climate) are easier to work around than actually not being able to build and then run a car... Campos have everything they need to go racing, except the money to fund it...

USF1 look to have problems getting their car ready, and no amount of money in the world can slow down that ticking clock to Bahrain...

This is what anderson said himself in that Grandprix piece on his time at ligier:

The suspension was part mine, but Richard Divila had a lot of input on that.

"Basically Guy oversees the whole project. We've been so flat out, we really haven't had time to say 'Okay, you're the boss man'. We're all pulling our share of the load.

Technical director my arse, he didn't even do the suspension himself, more like a hired technician for a season.

Raz

Beforehand: I have no knowledge of the automotive industry, nor anything to base this on except my perception.

I have read through articles and this thread, and watched USF1 video's and photographs. And with each new fact I'm increasingly pessimistic about this teams chances of ever making it to the grid.

Especially the factory. I just saw a video of a SpeedTV reporter visiting the factory saying he was "very impressed". Well, I was seriously underwhelmed. What we saw was:

1. An office with 1 desk and 1 pc where Windsor sat.
2. A room with 2 (or more, hard to make out) desks with screens with 1 guy's screen visible showing a seriously basic F1 car design (which would have been basic in the 90's) in a CFD simulation. Also a 3d design program, presumably AutoCAD or something, with the same extremely basic design. Also operated by a guy who doesn't really come across like someone who knows exactly what he's doing or what he should be doing.
3. A machine (not sure of the English name) that automatically cuts the metal pieces into a specific design.

Then a crash test video of only a nose cone without any additions or attachments (front wing, f.i.) that was seemingly viewed in a circle with some of the teams current crew (6 people?) watching.
Some photo's of a 'tub', never complete though with some parts visible in the background.

With respect, the local car workshop looks more impressive and high-tech.

Here's a list of video's I've found of other F1 teams' factories. Even if you look through every possible bit of bling or luxury, only considering available facilities, please compare this to what you've seen from USF1 and come to the only possible conclusion: they are nowhere near the same league, where a viable Formula 1 team should be in. Some video's have real in-depth features, others show a short glimpse, but I trust you will also be self-sufficient in finding more information on the facilities inside an F1 factory.

Red Bull
Renault
BMW Sauber (a full playlist)
Toyota
Williams (1 of 6)
McLaren
Force India
Brawn GP

That's it. They are too far behind. They are definately not going to make Bahrain.

But still, on the positive side, the fact that both Virgin and Lotus are viable entries means we definately will have a larger grid than last season.

They do have the option to miss the first 3 GP's. However, they may struggle even more for sponsorship. Its money they dont have. You dont need to be CK to work that one out. How many official sponsors have they named (pay drivers dont count)?

Well, another question would be what about the wind tunnel, the one which is allegedly part owned (and built?) by Anderson? Windshear.
Seems all quite about that. Didn't we have an article about it in this thread saying that Anderson had next to nothing to do with it? I remember something like that.

Did they use it at all? It was said that this will be their biggest advantage.

They all had to start somewhere, and some of these teams had huge budgets when they started or took over existing buildings. McLaren is not just an F1 team, and their building is a marvel, but it was not built from purely an F1 team budget standpoint. The McLaren tech center is just amazing, as is the Ferrari factory proper (not even talking about the race division). Ferrari mixes in trees and plants to improve the indoor air quality for example, lots of natural lighting.

USF1 is a poor operation, but they are just starting, had they tried to build a McLaren tech center they would already be dead, and we would have never even seen one video of partial tub. Remember Honda starting out in an old metal building with dirt floors! Great stuff in the old days! If USF1 survives, or even makes the first race, in the years that follow you can be sure they would upgrade the facilities. Will they ever be Ferrari or McLaren, nope, I do not see USF1 doing anything outside of F1. They are not going to make a supercar, or an LMP1 anytime soon or ever. They need a simple and affordable factory for now, worry about the rest later. No need to bash them now (not saying that you are btw just to be clear) for having an old Nascar building. What I will give to USF1 is the fact that they do post their own videos, where some are just posting what TV studios have done. But to be fair again, the TV guy for USF1 is still really a Speed employee that covers Nascar I think, and only moonlights for USF1.

I have to admit Red Bull is usually really candid with sharing information for the TV studios. Heck they even published that comical magazine just for the pits during the races. I have always liked the way Red Bull has done things.

Anderson claimed to have been responsible for windshear as well, but a spokesperson quickly statightened that one out saying he was just a consultant. then windsor said 60% models was a waste and CFD was the way of the future.

Raz

It is a full-scale windtunnel, one of only a few in the world. So since at this point we really do not know if they have a car, we can only speculate to say no testing has been done at Wind Shear. http://www.windshearinc.com/news/news.htm?expanddiv=all#news

I definitely agree with you on they are just starting out and we shouldn't expect them to build a shiny tech center, etc. What I tried to emphasise (perhaps without enough effect) is that even when you look through the "shininess factor" of other F1 factories, just look at the basic facilitities needed to design and build a F1 car, and a team around it.

I don't see anything that remotely assures their commitment to the project or even their possibilities of getting anything rolling.

I am more interested in the claims of Andersons involvement there.

Aren't full scale wind-tunnels banned by FIA?

Anyone with some knowledge on that collapsed falcon irl project anderson did with kranefuss? That F1 tub or whatever it is, looks remarkably similar to the falcon pics I've seen on the web.

Raz

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1090...mp;id=798175219


Also to the post above yours, the Wind Shear link I posted has the rules:

I don't know what's looking more discouraging, the rumours around this team or the meltdown at Campos. Probably Campos, but this is close.

Having had a inside view of a company in financial meltdown, the CK message saga has a few hints of reality. It really does sound like the way unhappy staff talks once paychecks start getting irregular. I won't say I'm convinced CK isn't trolling, but it all sounds a bit too real for me to dismiss it outright. I wish USF1 would show some confirmation that things are progressing....


Right from day one, when USF1 was selected for the 2010 season, my number one worry has been that they would make a mess of things while being identified as 'team USA'. There's lots of talent over here in North America that can do the job right, but few people will notice that if USF1, after being talked up on Speed, turns into a public epic fail.

Please USF1 guys, don't **** this up.

Yes I have followed and am following, this thread with interest.

I agree that it is patently obvious that there is the knowledge, drive, skill and energy in the USA to bring this off and I would like to see a team called USF1 succeed; sadly it seems that the present effort is unlikely to do so.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08022010/23/...hree-races.html

Let's face it....'humility and subtlety' have never been great American traits and so its no wonder Speed has given the coverage it has... but HOPEFULLY.... if this fails....it will be embarrassing enough for Windsor that we dont have to listen to him do the F1 offocial questions after GP's anymore...

I actually quite like the Speed F1 team and think they do a god job....except.....Windsor...

They got their timeframe wrong. Its 4 weeks on Sunday not 6 weeks.

OMG

4 weeks to go.

Not so if you are USF1 or Campos.

Just curious..

Which nationality displays 'humility and subtlety' as a national trait ??

Please list..

My calendar says 5 weeks, not 4...

But how could you tell if I was being both humble and subtle?

oops

Ha ha! very good.

E.G. Visit France and watch the deplorable F1 coverage here.

Until his untimely departure, Sebastian Bourdais received a wholly disproportionate amount of attention.

Nationalistic is simply not the word.

4 weeks on Sunday. 4 weeks on Friday to 1st practice.

This is totally off topic.

Totally off topic, but by the same reasoning you could also say that it's just three weeks in a fortnight... They actually have this week to keep on working in as well, making it five working weeks (although you don't want to fly the cars out late in the last week before the race). So realistically just over 4 working weeks left...

Dont spoil my excitement that its getting close. I've just had to watch the opening BBC credits from last year.

We'll not split hairs but apart from the date and location (in the vid) this is what will be aired 4 weeks on Saturday (quali).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyn_mi1jHoE...feature=related


Reality check. Will USF1 be close to being there?

Who knows. I certainly dont.

I'm seriously hoping that CK is a total fraud, and after I've seen that VT USF1 will be there on 13th March.

If they cant make Bahrain then lets hope thy will be on the grid by China.

I never minded Windsor, and was really exited about all his *promises* - but if this turns into the debacle it currently seems to be turning into, he deserves to pay a price for all his flippancy, and empty rhetoric. He would have zero credibility and should be out of F1 in all capacities. Whether they make it or not at this point, the fact that they don't have the car complete at this stage is pretty disgraceful, considering they were the first 'new' team announced back in February '09...

Windsor... This whole thing is fitting too well to the current situation... I wonder if someone in the team has time to formulate such a move in the middle of things... Someone from Composite department sitting on his computer a good one hour while guys are working like mad, is a situation that is too obvious. If so, the man has no face i the team, we should hear more soon about it via official line. Is this a plot?

RT @ericswarren: Got some positive developments on the @USF1 front today. A long way to go but everyone is working hard to make it happen.

The French (aka 'chauvinists') and the Polish (they tend to be very nationalistic, more than any other country in Europe) for sure wouldn't qualify for it

Compared to America? All nations!

(no you're right, I don't see a difference really in coverage, most countries follow 'theire' teams and drivers more closely than other countries. It's just that in the US cars, pizzas, steaks and just about anything else is about 3 times as big as anywhere else)

Crossing fingers!



To my mind, he never had any credibility. If you start from zero...

Please..we are not all 3Xs bigger...maybe 2xs..but not all of the OTHERS are that mucher bigger..

Hi everyone,

I new here but not to F1. As u can easily guess from my ID I am a huge Ferrari fan (although no with MS in Mercedes I am on the edge .

I have been reading about this USF! situation for a while. I am going to post what I found today on SpeedTV. Peter's friends are definetly supporting him. No questions asked. Here you have it (unless posted by someone else):
http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-...iver-this-week/.

As u can see from the date of the article, it was just posted and I will damned if i believe a word they say. Besides all the comments I have read one thing is true: while most of the team tesed their cars on the track and some have finished, presented and ready to test their cars this week, USF1 has only a coupe of sketchy pictures. All stills, nothing is showing tires spinning around with a chassis on top of it. That alone shows the caliber of this team. Like many I strongly resent this "team" portraing itself like a US Team. I wonder why not to start it in Mexico or something since there like in Argentina and Spain they all speak Spanish .

I'll be honest: I can't stand PW. Unfortunately nowadays with the "anyone can be a champion" mentality we even see the Serbs (I never thoutght I would see that in my entire life) putting together a F1 car. Who is going to be next? The Vatican? ))) Can u imagine that? Here comes the Pope crossing the finish line first.........................He is World champion.......Heeeeyyyyyyyyy ))

Going back to Peter he sure looks like an adventureouus business man willing to cut any kind of deal with anyone as long as it has his way. He has lost his face no matter what happens.

I'll bet you they'll show up in Bahrain, but it will be with a mock up for a car

We need to get this guy over to this thread and put him on the trail of CompositeKen.
The first thing he might point out is that Ken is not short for Kevin.
Now who do we call to put an end to the childish nationalist stereotypes?

lol, likewise. But I do not mind seeing them give their best shot (and fail). We'll see.

Should be easy enough to get an idea of Campos-Ken's credibility by looking up his IP, or at least check out what time of day he posted when I doubt he used his working-hours for it if he's the real thing? As for US modesty, I can't think of another country where you so easily can post a scam like this, impersonate an F1 team in the most pathetic fashoin , and get away with it by simply wave the stars and stripes playing on patriotic sentiments.

I have noticed otherwise reasonable people going Hulk when it comes to this sad excuse for an F1 team.

Wind back the tape to SpeedTV intro a year ago, there was zip of credibility with those bozos, the way it's been ever since. A never ending display of namedroppings and excuses bordering to the insulting; "We are in the hands of Cosworth now".

And how about this, wanna buy some consultant hours from this mythomaniac? http://www.andesign.us/

Raz

Why doesn't someone just call Peter Windsor and ask him some specific questions like a decent journalist? You might at least get a scoop for Autosport....

Windsor has denied any large scale problems though indicates it's been difficult. No matter what he says the members of various forums that either doubt the project, don't like Windsor, Anderson or the US for whatever reason won't be swayed. In 31 days we'll see if they make Bahrain and they'll have until China, or about another two months from now to make the grid. Some of y'all have far too much time on your hands.

Windsor denies? 'Tis settled, then... They'll go down!

It would be much more comforting to hear about their progression than a denial of large-scale problems and an admittal small-scale ones. Why? Because if they are making progress, they really should be making noise of it to get funding (and to undermine this kind of forum fuzzes ;)). But no, no news on completion of design, assembling the car, shakedown (or dates thereof). All we have is "we'll be in Bahrain", dismissed by F1 supremo. And the part with it having been 'difficult', well, uh... that kind of admission could be true, or anticipating bankruptcy. (There are numerous examples of ill-founded corporate PR optimism, but from field of motorsports, remember that Teixeira chap and his A1GP on 'hiatus' at the moment?) I'm saying CK is not the only person whose stuff should not be accepted at face value.

And about skipping 3 races: They must make it in time for Bahrain. No-show means huge loss of credibility, goodwill and sponsor interest. If they are having it 'difficult' now, they certainly should not try that route...

loki Windsor's last two attempts at starting an F1 team resulted in bankruptcy and litigation and his career is based on hyperbole and spin so I'm not sure blind faith is a great idea.

From the homepage here at Autosport...notice anything strange....


F1 launches

Mercedes Feb 1
Red Bull Feb 10
McLaren Jan 29
Ferrari Jan 28
Sauber Jan 31
Williams Feb 1
Renault Jan 31
Force India Feb 9
Toro Rosso Feb 1
Lotus Feb 12
Campos
US F1
Virgin Feb 3