USF1 Driver Speculation

Formula One, , , , , ,

Now that Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson’s USF1 project has been made public, speculation has been rife as to who could be the American drivers the team has stated they will employ in 2010 (and beyond). During the initial launch several names were mentioned so let’s take a look at some of the possibilities:

Marco Andretti
PLUS: A very well known name in F1 circles; Young (21)
MINUS: Would he trade a front-running IRL team for a back-of-the-grid F1 team?

Graham Rahal
PLUS: Well known racing name; Young (20)
MINUS: Would he trade a front-running IRL team for a back-of-the-grid F1 team?

Kyle Busch
PLUS: Fast, aggressive & known in Europe; Still young (23)
MINUS: Would he trade a front-running NASCAR team for a back-of-the-grid F1 team?

Danica Patrick
PLUS: A very well known face; Relatively young (26)
MINUS: Would she trade a front-running IRL team for a back-of-the-grid F1 team?

Scott Speed
PLUS: F1 experience; Still young (26)
MINUS: Would he trade a front-running NASCAR team for a back-of-the-grid F1 team (again)?

Are you seeing a pattern here?
OK, Sebastien Bourdais swapped THE best ChampCar team for a back-of-the-grid F1 team – but that was after he had won FOUR ChampCar titles! He was bored and wanted a new challenge…

Others possibly on the USF1 list?

Alex Gurney – a very well known F1 name but way too old at 34.
Casey Mears – another racing family, but again at 30 a little too old to start F1.
AJ Foyt IV – name recognition, yes. Still young (24) but has never shown much road-racing skill.
Ed Carpenter – deep pockets, but that’s about it.
Townsend Bell – technically skilled but too old (33).
Sarah Fisher – a woman equals publicity but she is really an oval racer.

So how does that leave us? With no one really. If the team succeeds even partially in 2010 then maybe someone at the top of our list will make the switch for 2011. For 2010 the possibility of having two American drivers is remote – more likely is a young one plucked from F3/Atlantic level, alongside a seasoned, foreign F1 campaigner, the obvious choice being Rubens Barrichello.

We shall see as things develop during this year.

– MCZF1

Inaugural F2 Field Set

Sports,

The entry list for the 2009 FIA’s revived Formula Two Championship has been released with the first races taking place at Valencia, May 30th and 31st. Run by Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision, the 24 drivers will pilot identical Williams F1-designed spec chassis powered by 400hp Audi 1.8 litre turbocharged engines. The cars are equipped with paddle shift transmissions and a 50hp boost button available eight times during the race. There will be 8 double-header race weekends for a total of 16 races.

The entry list:
# – Driver – Nationality – Age – 2008 Results
2 – Sebastian Hohenthal – Swedish – 24 – 7th in British F3
3 – Jolyon Palmer – British – 18 – 3rd in Formula Palmer Audi
4 – Julien Jousse  – French – 23 – 2nd in WSR
5 – Alex Brundle – British – 18 – 6th in Formula Palmer Audi
6 – Armaan Ebrahim – Indian – 19 – 7th in FV6 Asia, also GP2 Asia
7 – Henry Surtees – British – 18 – 12th in Formula Renault UK
8 – Tobias Hegewald – German – 19 – 3rd in FRenault NEC, 5th in Euro
9 – Pietro Gandolfi – Italian – 21 – 26th in Swiss Formula Renault
10 – Nicola de Marco – Italian – 18 – 4th in Spanish F3
11 – Jack Clarke – British – 20 – 5th in Formula Palmer Audi
12 – Robert Wickens – Canadian – 19 – 12th in WSR, 15th in Euro F3
14 – Mirko Bortolotti – Italian – 19 – Italian F3 champion
15 – Mikhail Aleshin – Russian – 21 – 5th in WSR
17 – Carlos Iaconelli – Brazilian – 21 – 28th in GP2
18 – Natacha Gachnang – Swiss – 21 – 3rd in Spanish F3
20 – Jens Hoing – German – 22 – 17th in German F3
21 – Kazim Vasiliauskas – Lithuanian – 18 – 21st in Italian FRenault
22 – Andy Soucek – Spanish – 23 – 14th in GP2 and GP2 Asia
23 – Henri Karjalainen Finnish 23 17th in Atlantic
24 – Tom Gladdis – British – 18 – 6th in Star Mazda
25 – Milos Pavlovic – Serbian – 26 – GP2 part-season
27 – German Sanchez – Spanish – 19 – Spanish F3 champion
31 – Jason Moore – British – 20 – Formula Palmer Audi champion
33 – Philipp Eng – Austrian – 18 – 11th in German F3 (part-season)

The strongest contenders look to be Jason Moore, German Sanchez, Julien Jousse, Robert Wickens and Mirko Bartolotti while the British contingent features many sons of former drivers: Martin Brundle, John Surtees and Palmer’s own son.

 – MCZF1

 

 

 

Le Mans 24 Hours 2009

Sports, , ,

The entry list has been announced for the 2009 running of the classic endurance event.
One of the biggest surprises is the #17 – a privateer Peugeot 908 entered by Pescarolo Sport – making it four Peugeots versus five Audis in the run for victory. An unknown factor will be the four Lola Aston Martins that will be making their debut at Le Sarthe.

LMP1
No Team Car
1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15
3 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15
2 Audi Sport North America Audi R15
14 Kolles Audi R10
15 Kolles Audi R10
7 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908
8 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908
9 Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908
17 Pescarolo Sport Peugeot 908
16 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Judd
007 Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin
009 Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin
008 AMR Eastern Europe Lola Aston Martin
13 Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola Aston Martin
10 Team ORECA Matmut AIM Courage-ORECA AIM
11 Team ORECA Matmut AIM Courage-ORECA AIM
6 Team LNT Ginetta Zytek
23 Strakka Racing Ginetta Zytek
12 Signature Plus Courage Judd
20 Epsilon Euskadi Epsilon Euskadi Judd
4 Creation Autosportif Creation Judd

LMP2
No Team Car
5 Navi Team Goh Porsche RS Spyder
31 Team Essex Porsche RS Spyder
49 Vitaphone Racing Team Porsche Rs Spyder
25 RML Lola Mazda Coupe
44 KSM Lola Mazda Coupe
30 Racing Box Lola Judd Coupe
33 Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola Judd Coupe
24 Oak Racing Pescarolo Mazda
35 Oak Racing Pescarolo Mazda
40 Quifel-ASM Team Ginetta Zytek 09S
41 Gac Racing Team Zytek 07S
26 Bruichladdich Bruneau Radical AER

GT1
No Team Car
63 Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R
64 Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R
72 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R
73 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R
60 Gigawave Motorsport Ltd Aston Martin DBR9
66 Jetalliance Racing Aston Martin DBR9
55 IPB Spartak Racing Lamborghini Murcielago
68 JLOC Isao Noritake Lamborghini Murcielago

GT2
No Team Car
76 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
77 Team Felbermayer-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
80 Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
78 AF Corse Srl Ferrari F430 GT
82 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT
83 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT
84 Team Modena Ferrari F430 GT
89 Hankook – Team Farnbacher Ferrari F430 GT
92 JMW Motorsport Ferrari F430 GT
96 Virgo Motorsport Ferrari F430 GT
97 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari F430 GT
99 JMB Racing Ferrari F430 GT
87 Drayson Racing Aston Martin V8
85 Snoras Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Laviolette

Reserves
No Cl Team Car
R1 GT2 Team Seattle Advanced Eng Ferrari F430 GT
R2 GT2 Endurance China Team Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
R3 GT2 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
R4 LMP2 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S
R5 LMP2 Gerard Welter Zytek
R6 LMP1 Epsilon Euskadi Epsilon Euskadi Judd
R7 GT2 Team Felbermayer-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
R8 GT2 Snoras Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Laviolette
R9 GT1 Team Larbre Competition Saleen S7R
R10 LMP2 Racing Box SRL Lola Judd Coupe

– MCZF1