Ecclestone: USF1 are a doubt

And you KNOW Windsor wouldn't turn PR down. I'm afraid it isn't looking good at all for USF1 (and I really wanted the team to succeed.) I agree that they would have cameras in there all the time; I'm reminded of the Acura LMP1 program SPEED ran at the beginning of the ALMS season. It was a great program about the nuts and bolts of a race program.

Andreas, I'm sure they've been in talks with Sauber re: their grid spot. The only thing that confuses me is why Chad Hurley would put his reputation on the line so strongly. I guess no one is immune to chasing vaporware, but he did a bunch of press.

 

I have seen a bunch of good people putting their names and reputation down for USF1 as well. So either I'm missing here something (very possible) or they're all believers in smoke screens.

I'm not happy by any means that USF1 looks more like a DOA than a race team. It'd be nice to have a US team, but I don't trust Windsor at all. He has done this before and so far it looks like a repeat.

 

+1

FWIW, I know someone in Charlotte who tried to apply for a position (10+ years as F1 and Indycar fabricator) but could not even get their post to go through on the website. I guess he'll stay with the doorbangers although they use fabricators much less now they have that spec POS.

FWIW, the real teams usually are running 24 hours a day in the machine and composite shops. Heck even the fluid dynamics are probably hundreds of man hours. Once the parts are made, checked then go through heat treat or whatever, then rechecked, then maybe installed. Don't forget, there are way more things to manufacture, the pit equipment, travel boxes, hostility equipment. Much is supplied through FOM probably in the monitors etc..

 

USF1, The Dale of motor sports?

 

I can't believe we don't have an FChatter on the ground in Charlotte who can just go knock on the door and say "here's the pizza's you ordered", and peek inside to see all the frantic activity, cars a'building, wind tunnels whooshing, an all that.....take a picture of all the transporters coming and going..... how hard is that?

(When C. Shelby started his Cobra assembly facility in LAX long ago, we just walked into the building and started chatting with Ken Miles lying on the floor under the pearl yellow Cobra! Took Shelby 2 hours to finally say "you gonna buy a car or what?";-)

Tritone

 

Is that a requirement of MaXXX's?

 

LOL we have plenty of that right here on this thread.....!

jk, couldn't resist!


Tritone

you're quick, Simon!!

 

A fairly recent NY Times article written by Peter Windsor himself...speaking of free PR!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/26/sports/autoracing/26iht-SRWINDSOR.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hpw

According to the article, they have set up shop in the former "Hall of Fame Racing" building. I had previously heard that they purchased a Joe Gibbs building.

 

It WOULD be nice to have an F1 outfit in our backyard that was as transparent and fan-friendly as USF1 is proposing but I, like yourself, am seriously doubting this venture. It's October already and we can't find 10 people that even work at this place (of course, there isn't a PLACE to work in!!!) But, as you point out, they will have some damn good carbon fiber

I guess we will know something more concrete in a few months. Who knows, they may prove us all wrong!

 

that's cuz the website says "Coming Soon" and it's been this way forever - notice how the troll commenting about this has vanished from FChat??

Carol

 

Must have fallen into the autoclave

 

Definitely a vacuum in that factory somewhere!


I am opposite the Aerodyne facility who manufacture many drag race carbon bodies for Force, Schumacher and others. I have been allowed a tour and was astonished by the cost of their equipment. We also have a fair number of other carbon people around, Zipp, Eloise are within 2 miles of me. I will ask around if there are any people moved out....

 

Definitely been a number of IRL and CART teams gone down the tubes owing money to suppliers, I think things are tighter now, so can't imagine a lot of stuff being allowed in there on credit. Two or three semis alone to move stuff, and did we mention a European base? Penske stopped trying to do things from Poole, now everything is based in NC, IRL and Nascar, show cars et al.

 

wow, the negativity in this thread in unreal. Whether you like Windsor or not, what did you expect for a team that was announed a few months ago - a full rolling scale model to be presented in public in february? They were very upfront in detailing that they had no office etc.
It's October 3rd; no team is rolling out a chassis for a few months - especially with the current testing ban. Windsor has been very consistent in his statements about the progress; besides who wants to see a tv show of a new team moving into an existing NASCAR facility? Sounds thrilling....a bunch of eggheads deciding which office they get while looking at drawings, with electricians and plumbers running around. Sounds like ratings gold for Speed...
Let's be realistic about USF1 - they will not run at the front for a long time; if ever. But the ramp up time from zero to production is extremely difficult. If this didn't have any legs do you think Chad Hurley would dump money into it????

Here is an excerpt from a recent interview with Peter Windsor:
As Peter Windsor said; Well, all the politics that happened this year have delayed us in some respects, but not in the critical respect of the car. We’ve been working on the design and the construction of the car since the start of the year, so that hasn’t been delayed at all. We are right on schedule for that. As (team co-founder) Ken (Anderson) said a couple of weeks ago, we should soon have what Americans call a ‘roller’ – not a complete car, but basically the chassis, with the suspension and gearbox in place – ready to do some full-scale aero tests. Then we are ready for the final bodywork around October and, like with everybody else, our car will be ready for the first test in January.

Good night all.
Kevin S.

 

how dare you be so reasonable!

 

Lol; no sh*t.....

 

Hey. Bernie started it

 

Have to agree with you; he's too busy flying to Bulgaria to see what's going on anywhere else. Speaking of that cretin why the f hasn't Montreal been finalized???

 

Hahaha when in doubt, huh?

No negativity intended, per sé. I am just shocked at the lack of information from this team that has promised an interactive and transparent process from the beginning.

 

I'd love to know that too.
If and when I'm going.

 

Do you see the contradiction in your own post? According to your own post they have significant hardware now (...not a complete car, but basically the chassis, with the suspension and gearbox in place – ready to do some full-scale aero tests...)

I for one, would love to see that!

 

Wrong: I was watching 10 teams on TV last night who all were driving the test versions of their 2010 cars. Except for the fuel tank, the rules don't change as drastically and many teams are already experimenting with pieces for their new cars.

Also: Rest assured that 10 other teams by now have already built 1/6 scale models of their 2010 cars and tested them in the wind tunnel.

Right. Particularly on his own website (Coming soon) and on Speed TV.

Where did that construction happen? In the empty hall in Charlotte?

As I said before: Seeing is believing.

Why doesn't Windsor call up his Speed TV buddy Matchett to shoot a RPM segment at their factory and talk about what goes into building a team from scratch, the progress they made and their project plan with timeframe to the opening race next year? I'd love to see that segment and it would shut up all the doubters like me.

In fact it isn't so important to shut up the folks on here, but the FIA is probably getting under some pressure from Sauber right now and will soon start knocking on that factory door in Charlotte to see for themselves.

 

http://www.usf1.com/

Site is up! Oh wait, it is just a prettier site that still says "Coming Soon" , but they are still "on track for 2010!"

edit: By the way, isn't that color a little familiar? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/2218561411_2fc2318f25.jpg

 

Wow I have never thought I would be referred to on here as a troll.

But you guys are the F1 experts so I wont even try and change your minds.

By the way I love the Manor and Campos cars...wait...what cars?...wait what anything?

But I guess since they are European based they must be the real deal right?

 

Manor? An established F3 that has enjoyed drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen

Campos? You may have a point, but I have read that they may buy the assets of Super Aguri (I'm pretty doubtful about their entry as well.)

USF1? Not much...I mean seriously think about it. I have respect for Ken Anderson (can't say the same for Peter Windsor) but as of today they haven't even nailed down details on a European test facility. They have wavered between several and have yet to commit to one. Compound that with all of the other factors mentioned, it seems that the views of most on FChat are less about cynicism and more about realism.


Not that we've ever been accused of lacking cynicism