Your View: Does USF1, Campos or Stefan GP not make it?
February 9, 2010 by SJ Skid
Filed under Prime & Option, SJ Skid
There seems to be an Internet groundswell around Stefan GP, and more and more sites — both legit and a little less legit — updating news about its efforts to make the 2010 grid.
The best rumor I’ve seen attaches Bruno Senna to the team. Yeah, you can figure out what that means.
But it has gotten me thinking. There seem to be two questionable spots right now for the 2010 grid and three teams that could fill them.
So, the question becomes: Which team(s) make it? And… is it possible that only Stefan, don’t call me Zoran, GP survives?
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I am already not a fan of USF1. However, I think that they will make it. But between Campos and Stefan GP, I would say Stefan GP. They are not even listed on the F1 Teams page.
USF1 make it.
Campos doesn’t.
Stefen tries to pick up their spot, and fails also.
I don’t understand this whole Stefen GP thing. Why are they shipping stuff to races, they can’t even compete in? For them to race at any of the first 3 races, Campos will have to drop out now, and Stefen will have to be allowed to enter by the FIA. They will also have to crash test their car with the FIA. The crash tests I read about them doing were done with an independent lab. Campos can miss the first 3 races also, so it could be not just before China when their entry could be pulled.
I also don’t like it that Bernie has in hand in Stefen GP somehow. We don’t need anymore Benie in the sport at all.
I fear the worst for USF1, however I have nothing to base that on. The last new youtube video was two weeks ago. Transparency my ass.
The “FIA” picked Campos over … well over everybody else. Thanks again Max.
But really I do think that 1) USF1 will show up of the Australian GP with Campos opting out entirely. and 2) Stefan GP showing up in Catalunya
PS.. At Stefan GP, you don’t drive the car, the car drives you.
You folks feel that missing 3 races is no big deal or is that a bit of a bummer considering they instantly become also-ran’s in the 2010 season?
Realistically, it’s hard to believe that a ground-up team was going to dominate F1, compete for a constructors’ championship, or even make very many podiums. Force India would be a rosy scenario. So I’d hardly be broken up about the points implications.
For the serious F1 American fans interested in the USF1 project — a niche bunch — it would be bothersome if the team we thought was to be not just in Bahrain, but sporting American drivers and sponsors, ends up at the 4th race (China, I think?) with foreign drivers and a lack of assurance about the future.
But I also think your average F1 fan, or your average American, won’t be that worked up about it. The fans will be intrigued when they do show, first race or not. Novelty and all. Worst thing that could happen there is promising you’ll be somewhere you won’t — not missing it if you tell everyone to wait for race 4. And a big part of the USF1 problem is the failure to engage the average American, so I don’t think they’d even care. Kind of like your average American would be indifferent to whether the America’s Cup started today or who won if it did.
i live in charlotte north carolina,and you don’t hear jack about usf1,i know this is nascar country but come on,these guys have done a lousy,lousy job on the PR side of things i think,and still are,but i do think usf1 will make it to bahrain,the car will not have a lot of test miles though,looks like usf1 will be cutting it as close as you can cut it
I would have thought some of the local press would have picked up on USF1 and done some specialty pieces. You know, right here in your backyard type of stuff. Hmmm.
Legit or not, all the rumours and postings on blogs and forums have one thing in common which must be recognized: where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Campos has openly admitted being in financial straits. USF1’s “deafening silence” (stolen quote) and “cat and mouse game” with Bernie (“You won’t make it”/We’ll be in Bahrein”) only make the smokescreen thicker. Meanwhile, Stefan learn their understudy lines, just in case…
That said, the “three race, no show” clause should allow the two slotted teams to make their debut -on cue or stumbling onto the stage somewhat later- unless they collapse before their time is out.
Who is most likely to collapse? Probably Campos, due to financial woes. On the other hand, it would seem that they have a Dallara tub and a cash injection could put them back in the running (presuming it’s crash worthy) on pretty short notice. USF1 seems to have a tub too (announcing crash testing for next week through the grapevine, if not on their offical site) so they would be up and running too. If we’re playing a guessing game, I’d guess that they would both make it onto the grid, at Bahrein or later.
What role does Stefan play in this pantomime, then? As I’ve posted on this blog before, I feel that Bernie has sold a nineteen ring circus with twentyeight performers to broadcasters, sponsors, advertisers et al -probably with many contracts to honour- and feels obliged to deliver. Stefan is his spare wheel, just in case one of the two teams in doubt don’t pull through and, at the same time, a tool to put pressure on the latter (name-dropping a few marketable drivers, while he’s at it). So Stefan shouldn’t be a factor…
Unless the Campos or USF1 eventual “no-shows” begin to undermine their sposorships (whatever they may have) before they show up for the fourth race.
I hope not, though. As an Argentine F1 fan I’m hoping USF1 and Pechito López make the grade and put on a reasonable performance. Or am I being too candid?
Today’s Wednesday. Did Dallara get paid? I think it’s starting to get that simple for Campos. No cash = no car = no spot. They are not going to let Texeira act like he’s buying Campos when the Ferrari dispute over A1GP is unresolved. At some point FIA pulls the plug.
USF1 remains an enigma. I think Windsor’s concession that they are in a “trying hard”-type situation raises concerns I’d not previously had — but I think the US market has to intrigue them and that the team will be given slack to try and make it happen. But at some point, like Campos, the rubber hits the road and they either have a car or not. Can’t drive an idea or a name around Bahrain or Spa.
I thought Todt said Stefan had no guarantee of stepping into any open spot. There are a lot of teams on the grid already, even if one or two don’t make it. One big thing, though, Stefan is not Ferrari or Porsche, some maker everyone wants to see, nor do they have Branson’s cachet as an independent. Who knows why Stefan didn’t get a slot? So who knows if they get allowed in now? Maybe they don’t like him even if he can field a shadow squad. I’d be taking them more seriously if FIA — as opposed to Stefan — was threatening to have them step in.