American team to join in 2010?

The team, which is set to be called USF1, will be fronted by American design engineer Ken Anderson and former Williams team manager Peter Windsor.

Although there has been no official announcement about the plans yet, nor an official entry lodged, sources suggest that their bid has been approved by rival Formula One bosses and that they are currently attempting to raise sponsorship funding for the project in America.

An official USF1 website has already been produced. Investigations by autosport.com have revealed that the website is owned by Anderson, although at this stage it only has a logo.

Anderson was technical director of Ligier in 1988 and also worked for the Onyx F1 team before moving back to America. He was technical director of both Chip Ganassi Racing and AJ Foyt Racing before designing the G-Force IRL car in 1996 - which went on to win the 1997 Indy 500 with Arie Luyendyk - and the next generation chassis in 2000. Anderson then became technical director of NASCAR team Haas CNC Racing in 2003.

He is also the part owner of the Wind Shear Inc. full scale, 180mph rolling road wind tunnel in North Carolina which has been used by F1 and NASCAR teams.

Sources indicate that USF1 plan to construct their own chassis at their North Carolina base, with the ban on in-season testing making it more feasible for an F1 team to be based outside of Europe for all but the stretch of European races between May and September.

The Formula One Teams' Association's (FOTA) recent confirmation that each manufacturer is willing to supply customer engines for 5 million Euros per season and gearboxes for 1.5 million Euros now make it more feasible than it has been for years for an independent team to enter F1 in 2010.

SOURCE: Autosport

Hot dog. I'll cheer them on even if they suck. Maybe get Danica a ride, stick Jeff Gordon in a car for a year or two, Marco Andretti, er, others.XSamFisherX

Scott Speed?

*Tumbleweed*

Hmmmm, Maybe change the name, I mean, We ain't A1GP for lord sake lol

But It would be a chance to see some American drivers get back into F1 and maybe a F1 venue in the states also.

MOSLEY: I expect 12 teams in 2010

FIA president Max Mosley believes there will be 12 Formula One teams next season despite the economic crisis hitting the world.

The 2009 field will include ten teams if the Honda Racing squad manage to find a buyer in time for the start of the season in March.

If not, there will be just 18 cars on the grid in a year where 24 were expected.

The Super Aguri team folded in the early part of last season, and Prodrive, who were to enter F1 this year, decided against it over the legality of customer cars.

But Mosley believes the cost-cutting measures agreed by the teams and the FIA, as well as the possibility to have cheap engines and gearboxes, will see the grid increased by next year.

"I think we will have 12 (teams) in 2010," Mosley told selected reporters on Thursday. "If we get the job done we will have 12 teams - it means independent engine and gearbox supplier at a sensible cost.

"Secondly decisions taken quickly and thirdly the commercial rights holder paying down to 12th place and also transport."

Mosley admitted the governing body had been approached by the American group looking to enter Formula One as USF1.

The FIA boss said the team are to be taken seriously.

"Yes, they have," Mosley said when asked if the team had approached the FIA. "They are serious people but they are the same as everyone else, they need the costs to come down if they are to be competitive.

"They are recommended by Nick Craw, our man in the States who knows a lot of people. You have to take it seriously."

The Briton also said that he expected the Honda team to be sold and to be on the grid this year, although he admitted he felt the chances were around 70 percent.

"I don't have any inside knowledge but my feeling is that from all the circumstances it is more likely than not that they will be there but I would not put it higher than 70 percent," he added. "But I honestly cannot pretend I know.

"As far as we are concerned that team has an entry, they have not withdrawn their entry and they are fully entitled to turn up in Melbourne and race if they want to. If they want to change the name there is no reason why they shouldn't.

"Talking to people around the thing they seem optimistic but they always are until the moment comes."

Mosley downplayed the negative impact the failure of finding a buyer would have on the sport, as he thinks people would finally realise it is crucial to reduce costs drastically.

"It wouldn't actually be damaging. I think it would make everyone realise finally that there really is a problem, as there are one or two people who still don't understand.

"I don't think it would matter provided we can lay out a plan for 2010, which makes it possible for a small team to come in and run competitively and do so without losing money.

"The days of the billionaires wasting money have gone."

SOURCE: Autosport