Jose Maria Lopez's manager Felipe McGough has criticised US F1 team boss Ken Anderson, saying he is the main culprit for the American squad failing to reach the Formula 1 grid.
"The main culprit of all this is Ken Anderson," McGough told Argentina's FOX Sports in a telephone interview.
"These people fooled the FIA, FOTA and all the teams, FOM, all the employees they hired, 'Pechito' Lopez, and Milos Pavlovic, the other driver they had signed to be in the project.
"It's not that they fooled us only. The situation of US F1 in Europe is some sort of scandal amongst teams because it makes F1 looks very bad. Argentina is just a small part of the problem, but it's a very, very big for Formula 1."
McGough said he was not aware of any problems with the team when Lopez signed a deal to race with it.
He added: "We signed the deal just 48 hours after the FIA sent an inspector to Charlotte and confirmed that the project was fully underway."
McGough said Lopez had been finally released from his contract and was now set to become Hispania Racing's reserve driver.
"We spent all day talking with the team," he added. "We finally managed to get released from the contract with the US F1 team. We had a meeting with Ken Anderson, with Chad Hurley's representatives, with Peter Windsor and with team's lawyers.
"It was a very complex situation because they had not breached the contract, but we knew they would not make it to Bahrain. So we had to find a solution so Jose Maria would not be tied to the team and he could find an alternative.
"And that's what we achieved after a lot of hours of negotiation."
McGough claimed Anderson or sporting director Peter Windsor had promised to travel to Argentina to apologise and to offer an explanation about the situation.
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label USF1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USF1. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Team US F1 still looking for 2011 entry
Team US F1 boss Ken Anderson insists his outfit has not yet given up on its dreams of entering F1 in the future, despite telling its staff to stop work on its current car.
Sources revealed earlier that team personnel were put on unpaid leave by the outfit on Tuesday afternoon, amid continued uncertainty about the future of the outfit.
Although that move pointed towards the end of Team US F1, Anderson has insisted that the Charlotte-based operation remains hopeful of making it onto the grid in 2011.
He is adamant that the team has not closed down, and says it now awaiting news from the FIA about if it can defer its entry from the start of this season until the beginning of 2011.
While it awaits a decision from the FIA, with an official entry list for 2010 expected imminently, the team has felt it pointless to continue work on the chassis it had originally planned to run this year.
Anderson told AUTOSPORT: "We have applied to the FIA to hold our entry until 2011. It was supposed to be confidential, so I could not really comment on it. It seems to have leaked out though.
"We are waiting for a reply from the FIA and are working with them. In the mean time, there is nothing for the employees to do, so we have told them to stop working on the current car until we have a decision."
With Team US F1 now certain not to be able to compete in 2010, it is not clear if the FIA will opt to hand an entry to the Serbian outfit Stefan GP, or choose to simply open applications for the 2011 championship instead - leaving just 12 teams on the grid this season.
Sources revealed earlier that team personnel were put on unpaid leave by the outfit on Tuesday afternoon, amid continued uncertainty about the future of the outfit.
Although that move pointed towards the end of Team US F1, Anderson has insisted that the Charlotte-based operation remains hopeful of making it onto the grid in 2011.
He is adamant that the team has not closed down, and says it now awaiting news from the FIA about if it can defer its entry from the start of this season until the beginning of 2011.
While it awaits a decision from the FIA, with an official entry list for 2010 expected imminently, the team has felt it pointless to continue work on the chassis it had originally planned to run this year.
Anderson told AUTOSPORT: "We have applied to the FIA to hold our entry until 2011. It was supposed to be confidential, so I could not really comment on it. It seems to have leaked out though.
"We are waiting for a reply from the FIA and are working with them. In the mean time, there is nothing for the employees to do, so we have told them to stop working on the current car until we have a decision."
With Team US F1 now certain not to be able to compete in 2010, it is not clear if the FIA will opt to hand an entry to the Serbian outfit Stefan GP, or choose to simply open applications for the 2011 championship instead - leaving just 12 teams on the grid this season.
Monday, 22 February 2010
US F1 seeks permission to miss races
US F1 co-founder Ken Anderson has admitted that he is in discussion with the FIA to reach an agreement that will allow for the new team to miss the first four races of the 2010 Formula 1 season.
While rival Campos now looks likely to make the start of the season after Jose Ramon Carabante took control of the project and installed Colin Kolles as team boss, speculation that US F1 has fallen behind in preparations and is struggling to secure the necessary funding has intensified in recent weeks.
In an interview with the New York Times yesterday, Anderson revealed that US F1 was unlikely to make it to Bahrain on March 14, and was seeking to miss the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese Grands Prix as well.
"We're working with the FIA to clarify how many races we can miss," Anderson told the newspaper. "In an ideal world, we can miss the first four races and show up in Barcelona."
Despite recent revelations that the Concorde Agreement includes a clause allowing teams to miss up to three races before officially being deemed to have failed to participate, the FIA made it clear earlier this month that new teams would breach the regulations if they missed any event.
Anderson indicated however that he believed the governing body sympathetic to USF1's predicament and wanted to assist him in ensuring it made the grid.
"I guess anything's possible," he said when asked about incurring fines for missing races. "But what would be the point of that? Why would they give us a franchise and just, the first time there's a bump in the road, yank it and put it out of business?
"That's definitely not the message that I'm getting from them. They want to help us, not shut us down."
Anderson insisted that both co-founder Peter Windsor and investor Chad Hurley, who co-founded YouTube, are still involved with the project. Windsor told AUTOSPORT's Grapevine column earlier this week: "I am still with the team", while the latter responded with: "Peter is still here at the moment, not sure what he is up to, stay tuned."
But the American revealed to the NYT that the project's progress was dependant on sponsorship falling in to place soon: "We have a timeline in place that if we get a decision quickly, that triggers funding and we're good to go.
"If it takes another week or two to make a decision, it keeps backing up," he added.
While rival Campos now looks likely to make the start of the season after Jose Ramon Carabante took control of the project and installed Colin Kolles as team boss, speculation that US F1 has fallen behind in preparations and is struggling to secure the necessary funding has intensified in recent weeks.
In an interview with the New York Times yesterday, Anderson revealed that US F1 was unlikely to make it to Bahrain on March 14, and was seeking to miss the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese Grands Prix as well.
"We're working with the FIA to clarify how many races we can miss," Anderson told the newspaper. "In an ideal world, we can miss the first four races and show up in Barcelona."
Despite recent revelations that the Concorde Agreement includes a clause allowing teams to miss up to three races before officially being deemed to have failed to participate, the FIA made it clear earlier this month that new teams would breach the regulations if they missed any event.
Anderson indicated however that he believed the governing body sympathetic to USF1's predicament and wanted to assist him in ensuring it made the grid.
"I guess anything's possible," he said when asked about incurring fines for missing races. "But what would be the point of that? Why would they give us a franchise and just, the first time there's a bump in the road, yank it and put it out of business?
"That's definitely not the message that I'm getting from them. They want to help us, not shut us down."
Anderson insisted that both co-founder Peter Windsor and investor Chad Hurley, who co-founded YouTube, are still involved with the project. Windsor told AUTOSPORT's Grapevine column earlier this week: "I am still with the team", while the latter responded with: "Peter is still here at the moment, not sure what he is up to, stay tuned."
But the American revealed to the NYT that the project's progress was dependant on sponsorship falling in to place soon: "We have a timeline in place that if we get a decision quickly, that triggers funding and we're good to go.
"If it takes another week or two to make a decision, it keeps backing up," he added.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Lopez would welcome Valles at US F1
Jose Maria Lopez says he would welcome Adrian Valles as his team-mate at the US F1 team, the Spaniard having been linked with the drive earlier this month.
Argentinean Lopez is the only driver confirmed at the American squad, who is facing a race against time to make it to the first race in Bahrain next month.
Lopez reckons Valles, who won the Superleague championship with Liverpool last year, would be a strong team-mate.
"I would very much like to have Adrian as a team-mate for a lot of reasons," Lopez told Spanish daily Marca.
"First, he is young, talented and with a lot of experience. Second, because I know him from the time when we were together in the Renault development programme."
He added: "It's hard to talk about another driver. A lot of times they have to be judged by the car they are driving or by the team with which they have been, but Adrian has done well in all the categories he has been in, and that shows he is a talented driver."
Although US F1 looks set to miss all the European pre-season tests, Lopez believes joining a new team was still a good decision.
"Of course it's worth it," he said. "I've fought a lot to achieve this and I've been through a lot of things. It's a chance to return to the top category in motorsport.
"I'm going to give 100 per cent to stay in Formula 1."
Argentinean Lopez is the only driver confirmed at the American squad, who is facing a race against time to make it to the first race in Bahrain next month.
Lopez reckons Valles, who won the Superleague championship with Liverpool last year, would be a strong team-mate.
"I would very much like to have Adrian as a team-mate for a lot of reasons," Lopez told Spanish daily Marca.
"First, he is young, talented and with a lot of experience. Second, because I know him from the time when we were together in the Renault development programme."
He added: "It's hard to talk about another driver. A lot of times they have to be judged by the car they are driving or by the team with which they have been, but Adrian has done well in all the categories he has been in, and that shows he is a talented driver."
Although US F1 looks set to miss all the European pre-season tests, Lopez believes joining a new team was still a good decision.
"Of course it's worth it," he said. "I've fought a lot to achieve this and I've been through a lot of things. It's a chance to return to the top category in motorsport.
"I'm going to give 100 per cent to stay in Formula 1."
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Lopez has power of a nation behind him
This is a big week in Formula 1. The new Mercedes team was launched on Monday, and new cars from Ferrari and McLaren are due to break cover on Thursday and Friday. But another development that has made less of an impact could prove a seminal moment in a different way.
The announcement on Tuesday that the little-known Argentine Jose Maria Lopez will drive for the new US F1 team in 2010 has made minimal impact compared to the fanfare afforded Mercedes's public presentation of their new livery and Michael Schumacher.
The general perception will be that this is just another pay-driver getting a seat with a struggling team, neither of which are likely to make much impact in 2010.
That assessment may well turn out to be factually correct - but the Lopez deal is rather more interesting than that. He has secured his drive thanks to backing from the government of Argentina itself. His appointment was announced by the president, Crista Fernandez de Kirchner.
As far as I am aware, this is the first time a national government has ever financially supported a driver's entry into F1 to any significant degree.
"He has got the nation behind him," US F1 sporting director Peter Windsor told me from Buenos Aires on Wednesday. "This has all come through the president's office. The government decided to get behind him and take him into F1, and when they did that a lot of other companies looked at it and decided to do the same. It's snowballed since then."
This is information that a lot of struggling young racers around the world, scrabbling to raise the money to further their careers, will find quite hard to take.
That, though, does not make it any less remarkable.
Argentina has had a very tough time economically in the last decade and, although things are improving from the lows of 2001, times are still hard for many Argentines. F1's popularity remains high, though - even though it is 12 years since the country had a race or a driver.
"Obviously football is huge, but motorsport is the number two sport in Argentina," Windsor says, "even with Juan Martin del Potro and Angel Cabrera winning majors in tennis and golf. Jose is huge here.
"A lot of people will say, 'Oh, it's a driver with money.' But that sidesteps the issues of how much time it takes to raise that money - and it's still government money they are spending. I'm very proud of that.
"My feeling is that the thinking is: 'Let's take a driver into F1; it'll be good for the country's morale.'
"They want to win in big sports - that's very important, just as it is in Australia. Here, it doesn't take much to trigger a spark of enthusiasm. Who's to say that the fact they are in economic recovery isn't even more reason to get behind a driver? It's a very optimistic attitude - very different from Europe where it tends to be all doom and gloom."
The chances of Lopez winning in F1, of course, are not great, at least in the immediate future.
US F1 are battling to get their debut car ready. Windsor says he and co-owner Ken Anderson haven't yet decided whether they will make any of the four pre-season tests in Europe, but he says it's likely the car will run only in the US. He insists, though, that they will be ready for the first race in Bahrain on 14 March, while admitting: "It's going to be tight."
And then there's the question of whether Lopez is any good. He did not exactly set the world on fire in the European feeder formulae, but Windsor says he always believed Lopez had talent; the respected driver coach Rob Wilson agrees - and so does Argentine F1 legend Carlos Reutemann.
Reutemann, now an influential name in Kirchner's Peronist party, is an old friend of Windsor from the 1970s and early '80s, when Reutemann was one of F1's leading drivers and Windsor a journalist. Although Windsor says the now Argentine senator - a member of Kirchner's party, but not exactly an ally - "is not really involved at all, other than he thinks Jose is very talented and very fast".
Whatever, all this is further evidence of a major shift that appears to be happening in F1 - as the car manufacturers leave, teams are increasingly taking on national identities, whether by accident or design.
So Brawn has been bought out by Mercedes, who are running two German drivers in Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. McLaren have two English drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Ferrari have long been considered in Italy as the national team, even if they do little to promote Italian drivers. The new Lotus outfit are effectively a Malaysian team. Then there's Force India - explicitly Indian, even if based at Silverstone. And now US F1, with backing from the Argentine government.
Windsor says he and Anderson chose that name for their team because of exactly this shift.
"The thinking was always, it's beyond car companies and the future will probably be an international element," he says. "And it's possible if we weren't called US F1, we wouldn't be here."
It looks incongruous, then, that there will not be an American driver in the team, but Windsor says the explanation for that is simple.
"No American driver has [the necessary F1] super licence," he says, "apart from maybe [GP3 driver] Alexander Rossi - but that was very recent.
"We had to draw a line. [IndyCar front-runners] Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti haven't got one. They may have been given one, but we couldn't take the risk of finding in the third week of February that they'd been turned down.
"We want to be in F1 for a long time. We'll build a stable platform and then do it [get an American driver] - we've got plenty of time."
"We're going to be doing quite a lot to promote American drivers this year, which we'll announce quite soon. But even though we're US F1, we don't have to have American drivers. We're in a global market place - there are also people who want to promote their company in the US. F1 is very international, but laying claim to a country is quite cool."
Windsor and his team can now lay claim to two.
The announcement on Tuesday that the little-known Argentine Jose Maria Lopez will drive for the new US F1 team in 2010 has made minimal impact compared to the fanfare afforded Mercedes's public presentation of their new livery and Michael Schumacher.
The general perception will be that this is just another pay-driver getting a seat with a struggling team, neither of which are likely to make much impact in 2010.
That assessment may well turn out to be factually correct - but the Lopez deal is rather more interesting than that. He has secured his drive thanks to backing from the government of Argentina itself. His appointment was announced by the president, Crista Fernandez de Kirchner.
As far as I am aware, this is the first time a national government has ever financially supported a driver's entry into F1 to any significant degree.
"He has got the nation behind him," US F1 sporting director Peter Windsor told me from Buenos Aires on Wednesday. "This has all come through the president's office. The government decided to get behind him and take him into F1, and when they did that a lot of other companies looked at it and decided to do the same. It's snowballed since then."
This is information that a lot of struggling young racers around the world, scrabbling to raise the money to further their careers, will find quite hard to take.
That, though, does not make it any less remarkable.
Argentina has had a very tough time economically in the last decade and, although things are improving from the lows of 2001, times are still hard for many Argentines. F1's popularity remains high, though - even though it is 12 years since the country had a race or a driver.
"Obviously football is huge, but motorsport is the number two sport in Argentina," Windsor says, "even with Juan Martin del Potro and Angel Cabrera winning majors in tennis and golf. Jose is huge here.
"A lot of people will say, 'Oh, it's a driver with money.' But that sidesteps the issues of how much time it takes to raise that money - and it's still government money they are spending. I'm very proud of that.
"My feeling is that the thinking is: 'Let's take a driver into F1; it'll be good for the country's morale.'
"They want to win in big sports - that's very important, just as it is in Australia. Here, it doesn't take much to trigger a spark of enthusiasm. Who's to say that the fact they are in economic recovery isn't even more reason to get behind a driver? It's a very optimistic attitude - very different from Europe where it tends to be all doom and gloom."
The chances of Lopez winning in F1, of course, are not great, at least in the immediate future.
US F1 are battling to get their debut car ready. Windsor says he and co-owner Ken Anderson haven't yet decided whether they will make any of the four pre-season tests in Europe, but he says it's likely the car will run only in the US. He insists, though, that they will be ready for the first race in Bahrain on 14 March, while admitting: "It's going to be tight."
And then there's the question of whether Lopez is any good. He did not exactly set the world on fire in the European feeder formulae, but Windsor says he always believed Lopez had talent; the respected driver coach Rob Wilson agrees - and so does Argentine F1 legend Carlos Reutemann.
Reutemann, now an influential name in Kirchner's Peronist party, is an old friend of Windsor from the 1970s and early '80s, when Reutemann was one of F1's leading drivers and Windsor a journalist. Although Windsor says the now Argentine senator - a member of Kirchner's party, but not exactly an ally - "is not really involved at all, other than he thinks Jose is very talented and very fast".
Whatever, all this is further evidence of a major shift that appears to be happening in F1 - as the car manufacturers leave, teams are increasingly taking on national identities, whether by accident or design.
So Brawn has been bought out by Mercedes, who are running two German drivers in Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. McLaren have two English drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Ferrari have long been considered in Italy as the national team, even if they do little to promote Italian drivers. The new Lotus outfit are effectively a Malaysian team. Then there's Force India - explicitly Indian, even if based at Silverstone. And now US F1, with backing from the Argentine government.
Windsor says he and Anderson chose that name for their team because of exactly this shift.
"The thinking was always, it's beyond car companies and the future will probably be an international element," he says. "And it's possible if we weren't called US F1, we wouldn't be here."
It looks incongruous, then, that there will not be an American driver in the team, but Windsor says the explanation for that is simple.
"No American driver has [the necessary F1] super licence," he says, "apart from maybe [GP3 driver] Alexander Rossi - but that was very recent.
"We had to draw a line. [IndyCar front-runners] Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti haven't got one. They may have been given one, but we couldn't take the risk of finding in the third week of February that they'd been turned down.
"We want to be in F1 for a long time. We'll build a stable platform and then do it [get an American driver] - we've got plenty of time."
"We're going to be doing quite a lot to promote American drivers this year, which we'll announce quite soon. But even though we're US F1, we don't have to have American drivers. We're in a global market place - there are also people who want to promote their company in the US. F1 is very international, but laying claim to a country is quite cool."
Windsor and his team can now lay claim to two.
US F1 Team announces Jose Maria Lopez as driver for 2010 season
Peter Windsor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and José Maria Lopez
Argentine star to race in US F1’s Debut Campaign
Charlotte, N.C. (Jan. 25, 2010) – US F1 Team announced today that they have signed the former Renault F1 Team test driver, Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez (26), to race with them in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. Lopez will be the 24th Argentine* to race in Formula One, sustaining a heritage that began sixty years ago when Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilan "Pepe" Gonzalez took the F1 world by storm.
"Securing 'Pechito' Lopez for our debut season has been a goal of ours for a long time," said US F1 Team Executive Vice President Peter Windsor. "We've been following his career since he dominated the Renault V6 Championship in 2003 and we're thrilled to have him on board as we return America to Formula One. Lopez is a consummate professional and born leader. The most revealing thing about his character was how he handled the disappointment of not racing for Renault after three years of testing with them in F1. Instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he returned to Argentina and totally dominated the local scene, winning 38 races and three championships. He became a major star as a result and, in turn, the Argentine nation – a country where F1 is second only to soccer - has got behind him." As proof of that, Lopez's US F1 contract was officially announced by the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in the Casa Rosada (Government House) in Buenos Aires on the afternoon of January 25.
After meeting Jose Maria and Windsor, the President commented: "The Argentine government is very happy to get behind this exciting new project and we wish Jose Maria and the team all the best for the 2010 season."
"This is a truly memorable day for me, my family and the people of Argentina," said Lopez, who has more than 6,000 kilometers of F1 test experience. "I have been working towards this day for much of my life and I can't thank Peter and Ken [Anderson] enough for this opportunity. Of course a new F1 team faces many challenges but our goal is to improve with each race and build a foundation that will eventually see this team competing for wins and championships."
After winning in karts all over the world from the age of seven – Lopez was leading Lewis Hamilton in the world final in Japan when his chain broke - he switched to race cars in Europe in 2001 . He won the 2002 Italian Formula Renault Championship with four wins, five poles and three podiums and in European Formula Renault he scored two wins, two poles and a podium. He dominated the European Formula Renault V6 Championship in 2003 (five wins, eight poles, seven podiums) and in one season of F3000 and two in GP2 he scored a win (Barcelona), seven podiums and a pole. As a contracted Renault driver, he also completed thousands of miles in the F1 car, focusing mainly on shake-downs and starts but also completing simulated race distances with compromised set-ups.
Disappointed not be given the opportunity to race in F1, Jose returned to Argentina in 2007. His positive, super-professional approach resulted in three championships, 38 wins and 36 pole positions. As a result, Jose became a hero in his own country and regained the momentum he needed to focus once again on F1.
US F1 Team, which is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the motorsports capital of the United States, will be the only American-based team on the grid in 2010 and the first in more than 40 years. Team Principal, President and CEO Ken Anderson said finding the right drivers was a major part of forming US F1 Team.
"So many things go into starting a Formula One team from scratch," Anderson said. "You can nail every step along the way but if you don't have the right guys in the seats, everything else is for naught. With Jose Maria Lopez we have further positioned ourselves for a successful 2010 debut campaign."
Argentine star to race in US F1’s Debut Campaign
Charlotte, N.C. (Jan. 25, 2010) – US F1 Team announced today that they have signed the former Renault F1 Team test driver, Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez (26), to race with them in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. Lopez will be the 24th Argentine* to race in Formula One, sustaining a heritage that began sixty years ago when Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilan "Pepe" Gonzalez took the F1 world by storm.
"Securing 'Pechito' Lopez for our debut season has been a goal of ours for a long time," said US F1 Team Executive Vice President Peter Windsor. "We've been following his career since he dominated the Renault V6 Championship in 2003 and we're thrilled to have him on board as we return America to Formula One. Lopez is a consummate professional and born leader. The most revealing thing about his character was how he handled the disappointment of not racing for Renault after three years of testing with them in F1. Instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he returned to Argentina and totally dominated the local scene, winning 38 races and three championships. He became a major star as a result and, in turn, the Argentine nation – a country where F1 is second only to soccer - has got behind him." As proof of that, Lopez's US F1 contract was officially announced by the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in the Casa Rosada (Government House) in Buenos Aires on the afternoon of January 25.
After meeting Jose Maria and Windsor, the President commented: "The Argentine government is very happy to get behind this exciting new project and we wish Jose Maria and the team all the best for the 2010 season."
"This is a truly memorable day for me, my family and the people of Argentina," said Lopez, who has more than 6,000 kilometers of F1 test experience. "I have been working towards this day for much of my life and I can't thank Peter and Ken [Anderson] enough for this opportunity. Of course a new F1 team faces many challenges but our goal is to improve with each race and build a foundation that will eventually see this team competing for wins and championships."
After winning in karts all over the world from the age of seven – Lopez was leading Lewis Hamilton in the world final in Japan when his chain broke - he switched to race cars in Europe in 2001 . He won the 2002 Italian Formula Renault Championship with four wins, five poles and three podiums and in European Formula Renault he scored two wins, two poles and a podium. He dominated the European Formula Renault V6 Championship in 2003 (five wins, eight poles, seven podiums) and in one season of F3000 and two in GP2 he scored a win (Barcelona), seven podiums and a pole. As a contracted Renault driver, he also completed thousands of miles in the F1 car, focusing mainly on shake-downs and starts but also completing simulated race distances with compromised set-ups.
Disappointed not be given the opportunity to race in F1, Jose returned to Argentina in 2007. His positive, super-professional approach resulted in three championships, 38 wins and 36 pole positions. As a result, Jose became a hero in his own country and regained the momentum he needed to focus once again on F1.
US F1 Team, which is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the motorsports capital of the United States, will be the only American-based team on the grid in 2010 and the first in more than 40 years. Team Principal, President and CEO Ken Anderson said finding the right drivers was a major part of forming US F1 Team.
"So many things go into starting a Formula One team from scratch," Anderson said. "You can nail every step along the way but if you don't have the right guys in the seats, everything else is for naught. With Jose Maria Lopez we have further positioned ourselves for a successful 2010 debut campaign."
Lopez joins US F1 for 2010
Team US F1 has signed former Renault test driver Jose Maria Lopez to join its debut season in Formula 1.
The Argentinean's move into F1 with the Charlotte-based outfit was announced by the President of his native country, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in Buenos Aires late on Monday evening.
Speaking about his step up to F1, Lopez said: "This is a truly memorable day for me, my family and the people of Argentina.
"I have been working towards this day for much of my life and I can't thank Peter and Ken [Anderson] enough for this opportunity. Of course a new F1 team faces many challenges but our goal is to improve with each race and build a foundation that will eventually see this team competing for wins and championships."
US F1 executive vice president Peter Windsor said he had been following Lopez's career for several years.
"Securing 'Pechito' Lopez for our debut season has been a goal of ours for a long time," he said. "We've been following his career since he dominated the Renault V6 Championship in 2003 and we're thrilled to have him on board as we return America to Formula 1.
"Lopez is a consummate professional and born leader. The most revealing thing about his character was how he handled the disappointment of not racing for Renault after three years of testing with them in F1.
"Instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he returned to Argentina and totally dominated the local scene, winning 38 races and three championships. He became a major star as a result and, in turn, the Argentine nation - a country where F1 is second only to soccer - has got behind him."
Lopez enjoyed a successful kart career and won several championships in junior single seaters, including the 2002 Italian Formula Renault Championship and the European Formula Renault V6 Championship in 2003.
He was a race winner in GP2, triumphing at Barcelona in 2005, and he also he completed several thousands of miles in F1 machinery in his test driver role with Renault in 2003 before returning to race action in touring cars in his native Argentina.
The Argentinean's move into F1 with the Charlotte-based outfit was announced by the President of his native country, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in Buenos Aires late on Monday evening.
Speaking about his step up to F1, Lopez said: "This is a truly memorable day for me, my family and the people of Argentina.
"I have been working towards this day for much of my life and I can't thank Peter and Ken [Anderson] enough for this opportunity. Of course a new F1 team faces many challenges but our goal is to improve with each race and build a foundation that will eventually see this team competing for wins and championships."
US F1 executive vice president Peter Windsor said he had been following Lopez's career for several years.
"Securing 'Pechito' Lopez for our debut season has been a goal of ours for a long time," he said. "We've been following his career since he dominated the Renault V6 Championship in 2003 and we're thrilled to have him on board as we return America to Formula 1.
"Lopez is a consummate professional and born leader. The most revealing thing about his character was how he handled the disappointment of not racing for Renault after three years of testing with them in F1.
"Instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he returned to Argentina and totally dominated the local scene, winning 38 races and three championships. He became a major star as a result and, in turn, the Argentine nation - a country where F1 is second only to soccer - has got behind him."
Lopez enjoyed a successful kart career and won several championships in junior single seaters, including the 2002 Italian Formula Renault Championship and the European Formula Renault V6 Championship in 2003.
He was a race winner in GP2, triumphing at Barcelona in 2005, and he also he completed several thousands of miles in F1 machinery in his test driver role with Renault in 2003 before returning to race action in touring cars in his native Argentina.
Friday, 23 October 2009
US F1 interested in Kyle Busch for 2011
NASCAR race-winner Kyle Busch has been singled out as a key target of the new Team US F1 outfit, as it continues its preparations to enter grand prix racing in 2010.
Although US F1 is unlikely to field an American driver for its debut campaign, as AUTOSPORT reported last month, the team is keen to get a home-grown driver in for 2011.
And sporting director Peter Windsor has said that Busch is high on his list of contenders for 2011 - and would like him to test the car next year.
Speaking to USA Today, Windsor said: "If he wanted to drive for us in 2011, we'd certainly be keen on that.
"I think there'll be a lot of speculation about that as time goes on. If I was Kyle, I'd be saying to myself, yeah, those guys all talk the talk, let's see what they do, let's see what the car's like.
"Let's see what the race shop is like. Fair enough. We're going to do a good job. I know when Kyle gets to see it, I'm pretty sure it'll get his pulse rate going."
He added: "I've watched him a lot and have massive respect for him. I know people who know him very well. I believe Kyle can win a world championship in Formula 1. I think he's got exactly the right talent, the right approach. I'd love to see him in a Formula 1 car.
"If he wants to jump in our car next year for doing some demonstrations here in the States, he's very welcome to do that."
Windsor has revealed that he has already met with Busch's business team, and he is well aware that the American driver's contract with Joe Gibbs Racing expires at the end of next season.
Busch himself said earlier this year that he would not totally rule out a switch to F1, providing he achieved title success in NASCAR.
"It's definitely something I wouldn't shoot down," he was quoted as saying shortly after the official launch of US F1. "If I could win a championship (in NASCAR) in the next two or three years then I wouldn't mind going doing (F1) for a few years and coming back.
"I think I'd still be young enough that if I could win a championship by 25, go run Formula 1 for a few years and be back (in NASCAR) by 28."
Although US F1 is unlikely to field an American driver for its debut campaign, as AUTOSPORT reported last month, the team is keen to get a home-grown driver in for 2011.
And sporting director Peter Windsor has said that Busch is high on his list of contenders for 2011 - and would like him to test the car next year.
Speaking to USA Today, Windsor said: "If he wanted to drive for us in 2011, we'd certainly be keen on that.
"I think there'll be a lot of speculation about that as time goes on. If I was Kyle, I'd be saying to myself, yeah, those guys all talk the talk, let's see what they do, let's see what the car's like.
"Let's see what the race shop is like. Fair enough. We're going to do a good job. I know when Kyle gets to see it, I'm pretty sure it'll get his pulse rate going."
He added: "I've watched him a lot and have massive respect for him. I know people who know him very well. I believe Kyle can win a world championship in Formula 1. I think he's got exactly the right talent, the right approach. I'd love to see him in a Formula 1 car.
"If he wants to jump in our car next year for doing some demonstrations here in the States, he's very welcome to do that."
Windsor has revealed that he has already met with Busch's business team, and he is well aware that the American driver's contract with Joe Gibbs Racing expires at the end of next season.
Busch himself said earlier this year that he would not totally rule out a switch to F1, providing he achieved title success in NASCAR.
"It's definitely something I wouldn't shoot down," he was quoted as saying shortly after the official launch of US F1. "If I could win a championship (in NASCAR) in the next two or three years then I wouldn't mind going doing (F1) for a few years and coming back.
"I think I'd still be young enough that if I could win a championship by 25, go run Formula 1 for a few years and be back (in NASCAR) by 28."
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