USF1 an embarrassment to US motorsports
“The FIA have told us to say nothing but I can say that I have no knowledge of the company being closed," Peter told us.
While Ken Anderson is freely speaking about the situation, telling Autosport that the employees have been told to stop working on the car at their Charlotte based factory as there is nothing more they can do until the FIA decide whether to let them hold onto their entry until 2011 or not, Windsor is keeping tight lipped following the FIA’s advice not to speak about the situation at all.
Word is that the two drivers on the list for a drive, James Rossiter and already signed Jose Maria Lopez have given up on racing for the team with Rossiter moving to IndyCar and Lopez publically stating that he has given up on racing in the pinnacle of Motorsports this season.
03/02/10 The Charlotte factory of the US F1 team is believed to have effectively closed on Tuesday as workers were instructed to stop working. The outfit has been struggling to make the grid of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and has already been reported to have submitted a request to skip the 2010 season. With the squad established by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor having revealed its plans in the winter of last year, the ambition to bring the first American team into Formula 1 appears to have died for US F1, for the 2010 season at least.
According to Autosport, the team have informed personnel that work can no longer continue on the run-up to the upcoming season. It has already been reported that team heads are offering F1 governing body the FIA a 7-figure compensation sum to skip what should have been its debut season.
It is believed that neither of the team's two leading figures were present as the announcement was made to staff, with no statement having been released either. When contacted by telephone, the following message could be heard: 'The number you have reached has been temporarily disconnected. No additional information is available'.