Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
Formula One
F1: No Future For USF1/Stefan Deal
The possible merger between USF1 and Stefan GP appears to be all but over...
Adam Cooper  | http://www.speedtv.com  |  Posted February 27, 2010   Balen (BEL)
Ken Anderson (Left) and former Williams team manager Peter Windsor (Right) founded USF1 and had hoped to make the 2010 Formula One Grid. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Ken Anderson (Left) and former Williams team manager Peter Windsor (Right) founded US F1 and had hoped to make the 2010 Formula One Grid. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Zoran Stefanovich has told the German media that negotiations between Stefan GP and USF1 have broken down, which goes some way to explain why the team launched an amazing rant against the American team on its website on Friday night.

As we reported yesterday, Chad Hurley wants to do a deal but Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor have refused to play ball.

One assumes that they now risk being left with a heap of nothing if – as is entirely possible – the FIA goes ahead and cancels the team’s entry next week.

A deal would seem to have been the most obvious way for Stefan and US F1 to make the grid in Bahrain, although clearly to make it work there would have to be compromises in both sides.

Yesterday a source who has been in close contact with both camps confirmed that discussions had been ongoing.

“There is stuff going on between Stefan and US F1,” he told us. “Whether it happens or not... It’s quite complicated. I think you’ll find at the moment that the likes of Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor are trying to block it. That seems to be the stumbling block.

If that was clear I think you’ll find that Chad Hurley would reach an agreement with Stefan almost immediately. You don’t know what Anderson and Windsor are telling Chad. They are the guys who are preventing anything from going forward.”

He confirmed that it was not impossible that the Charlotte facility could still have a use in any Stefan/US F1 link-up.

“That could well happen. It’s all a bit hypothetical at the moment. I think the American base would stay and be used for some things. They’ve got huge manufacturing capability. They’ve got the latest Haas CNC machines. They have got limited composite facilities – they’ve got a small autoclave, not a big one – but it could do stuff, for sure. The one thing that impressed me about US F1 is the resources they’ve got around and about, where they are, which are untapped compare to European suppliers, so to speak.”

It seems that Anderson and Windsor have prevented that from happening. What happens next is anybody’s guess.

Adam Cooper notched up his 25th season as a racing journalist in 2009. Born in London, England, he saw his first F1 race at age 10 in 1976. He began freelancing for Autosport magazine in 1985 and was on the fulltime staff from 1987-92. He then went freelance again, initially spending two years in Japan before following the 1994 Champcar series from a base in Indianapolis. He has not missed a Grand Prix since Suzuka ‘94, a run that has extended to Abu Dhabi ’09. Adam has written books about Eddie Irvine, Piers Courage and Michael Schumacher and hosts a race preview show on Sirius XM. He has written about F1 for SPEEDtv.com since 2005. Check out Adam's Blog or follow him on Twitter

Tunnelheads, Pick Your Starters! Win Weekly! Win Monthly! Win The Championship!
adam_cooper's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Cooper

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.