USF1 signs agreement with carbon fiber maker
December 17, 2009 by SJ Skid
Filed under Prime & Option
This might be that positive sign about USF1’s future we’ve been seeking.
The team has announced a “long-term” agreement with Advanced Composites Group, which makes carbon fiber and glass fiber materials and has worked in motor sports at a variety of levels.
Here’s the release:
Advanced Composites Group Inc. (ACG), part of the Composites Division of Umeco plc, is proud to announce the signing of a long term supply agreement with US F1 Team, the only US-based team to take the grid for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.
With strong backing and a solid team to enable it to meet the challenges of building a new car in an extremely short timeline, US F1 Team is focused on challenging the world’s best drivers and teams.
Ken Anderson, US F1 Team President, CEO and Team Principal, said: “US F1 Team is pleased to announce ACG as a technical partner in the design and construction of our 2010 Formula One car. The team faces a tremendous challenge to design and produce the first American-based Formula One car in more than 40 years, and ACG’s composites expertise will be critical for us to meet our goals and expectations in 2010 and beyond.”
ACG’s heritage in Formula One goes back many years; the Group’s philosophy of providing outstanding product development, application-specific, customised products and technical support at all stages of development and manufacture has placed it at the forefront of the motorsport industry.
Adrian Potts, President of ACG Inc, said: “There is an exciting time of change in Formula One racing and this has created the opportunity for new teams to enter the grid. US F1 Team is the sole American entry, and we are proud to support them from our Tulsa facility. I’m confident that the new team has signed up with the very best support and service in the industry, and we will demonstrate that their confidence in us is well placed.”
Jon Mabbitt, Managing Director of Umeco Composites Structural Materials, said: “It’s reassuring to know, in these turbulent times for Formula One, that ACG remains a strong technology leader in the field and that the motorsport industry can still provide exciting, new business opportunities such as US F1 Team. We wish the team every success in their endeavor.”
The long-term nature to the deal is what jumps out at me. While such deals can and are broken, it does show a certain amount of confidence on USF1’s part that the team is willing to agree to such a time frame.
A driver lineup would be a nice next step, too.
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Is it just me, or does it seem like this is happening really late? Other teams are crash-testing their monocoques, and USF1 is still working on locking in suppliers? Maybe Europe is right to question whether USF1 will make the grid in time.
Do you think USF1 is running behind the timeline that other teams are following to get to the grid on time for the first race? As mentioned in the press release, it better be an extremely short timeline … if it isn’t, they won’t make the initial grid.
the article says that they are doing this deal whith this company,it does not say that they have not already begun building the car,they could have been working with this company all along,they just decided to make it long term now
I don’t have any idea one way or the other if they will make it or not.
But surely it’s not unheard of in the history of formula 1 that a team weren’t able to make the start of the season but still managed turned up a few races in. Would it really be the end of the world if they were running behind?
i’ve been always skeptical, and i still think they wont be racing at all in 2010.
I’ve read this is the opinion of Ross Brawn, in the italian press (it isn’t an interwiew but an opinion referred by a member of the team)
starting after two or three races would cost a big fee from the fia, this happened in the past.. effectively teams wold be present (remember coloni, forti, life) even if they could’t race, in order to avoid fees..
but this team is really misterious..
yep,it would be dissapointing if they failed to make the first race,i do hope they make it there to shut up all these haters,and anti americans i see on other sites
You have got to be kidding… this late in the game? When we built Voyager 1984-5 we had a deal with Hexcel without whom there was no plane, period. You ALWAYS contract with prime suppliers first. If it were me, i would not have tried to join F1 without a Memorandium of Agreement in place. From the press release it sounds as if they just met and had a first kiss. What a mess.