Production of the first USF1 car may only be a couple months away as the team really kicks up the pace in anticipation for the 2010 season. Speaking with Autosport, Ken Anderson put a bit more information out on how the team has progressed since the FIA accepted their request to participate in the F1 World Championship.
“The chassis is locked down, because we were waiting to hear if the [Cosworth] engine rev limit was 20,000rpm or 18,000rpm” Anderson said during the interview. We now know that the engine limit will be set to 18,000 rpm and Cosworth says the package will be competitive despite the lower range. With the engine and chassis really coming together, there are still a couple loose ends to tie up in regards to European basing and sponsorship.
The team is set to ink a deal with Youtube co-founder and current chief executive officer Chad Hurley at some point. Aside from that, there has not been a lot in the news about potential side sponsors or associates at this time. If Youtube does decide to put their name on the side of the USF1 car, it should offer fans a great chance to see the team on a daily basis as I am sure there will be Youtube specific content available. The sponsorship will prove to be an item I will be watching next season.
That still leaves the bit about the European base. As the team stated during their launch, it would be very difficult to operate just out of the U.S. So where do they go? The Spanish Aragon track looks as though it will get the deal. While not firmly in place, it was either that or Paul Ricard. Anderson also told Autosport that “the Aragon facility is a fantastic facility, the people there are very nice, very helpful. It is a great place for winter testing, and we would like to have our drivers based there, or at Paul Ricard, and run all the time.”
With the news from this interview, it seems as though what many discounted as a joke will now be a reality in 2010. All of the bits and pieces of the team are really starting to come together and now all that’s left for one to ponder is the driver lineup. However, we will wait for another day to talk about that, because that alone is enough for 5 hours of podcast or 30 pages of writing. All I can be sure of is that it is about time we get some U.S. representation on the grid.
