• Team News

US F1 may be nearing end of the line

There is speculation Jose Maria Lopez is already looking for another F1 drive © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News:
• US F1 asks to miss four races
  
• News:
• A glimmer of hope from US F1
  
• News:
• Time running out for US F1
  

• Profiles:
• Jose Maria Lopez
• |
• Peter Windsor

• Teams:
• US F1

US F1 has cancelled its crash testing and a number of press interviews, as it looks more and more likely that it won't make the grid for the season opener in Bahrain.

There is still no sign of a completed chassis and no testing has been confirmed by the team, which last month said it was hoping to run the car on US soil at some point in late February. A report in the New York Times claims the team is plagued by financial trouble after a major sponsor deal fell through.

An anonymous insider said: "The bottom line is really simple: sponsor money didn't come through the way it was supposed to and it has grinded down the company to a halt. They're having trouble making payroll, they're having trouble paying suppliers and that's the situation they find themselves in,"

Officially the team has remained quiet, with boss Peter Windsor refusing to comment. YouTube entrepreneur Chad Hurley is its main financial backer, but there are now rumours that he is taking his money to the beleaguered Campos squad that at least has a near-ready Dallara chassis.

There also rumours that US F1's only confirmed driver Jose Maria Lopez has also started looking elsewhere. A source close to Lopez admitted to the Argentine press: "Maybe this is for the best and 'Pechito' [Lopez] ends in a car running better than the USF1."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Feeds: ESPNF1 Staff

• Email
• Feedback
• Print

Email