📰 Auto News REPORT: USF1 To Fold, YouTube Founder Out

[Mook]

According to a rumor published by a Spanish news outlet, US F1 won't make the first three races of 2010, forcing them to drop the entire season. Also, YouTube founder Chad Hurley's supposedly out as a financial backer. U-S-aww, crap.

The evidence suggesting the USF1 American-backed Formula One effort will succeed is now almost completely outweighed by evidence and chatter suggesting it's doomed, including YouTube founder Chad Hurley and business manager Brian Bonner reportedly walking away from the organization.

What makes us think USF1 could still be alive? They've yet to indicate the shop is closing. What do we have to indicate USF1 is folding?

* The last major announcement USF1 made was of the acquisition of driver Jose Maria Lopez, but that's still only one driver. They need two.
* They're the only team (other than the on-the-rocks Campos Meta) not to debut their car.
* Chad Hurley, YouTube founder and CEO, has possibly left the team in support of another struggling F1 effort. A source tells us he's also dropped a reference to USF1 from his Twitter bio.
* They don't have a test schedule and the first race is less than one month away.
* There's a rumor they won't make the first three races, which means they're out for this year.
* Brian Bonner, the head of business development for USF1, is reportedly no longer working there.
* The USF1 building is for sale, though they're just tenants there along with Robby Gordon Motorsports.

It's completely possible this is all just one big happy coincidence and the U.S. will soon be storming F1. It's also possible Max Mosley was meeting with those girls dressed like prison guards because he was hoping to get them to turn their lives around and start taking computer classes. Possible, not plausible.

http://jalopnik.com/5473765/report-usf1-to-fold-youtube-founder-out

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[Turk]

so?

 

[Mook]

US formula one team...would have been cool to see....sucks if they are actually forced to bow out

 

[IDAFC21]

Thanks WINDSOR. way to set america back in F1 another 20 years. I hope he doesnt get his old job back. he can go to nascar and be an announcer there w/ all the other F1 rejects.

 

[Mook]

.

If there's a team with as many troubles as USF1 it's Campos Meta1. Now sources tell us USF1 may team up/acquire Meta1. Are two struggling teams better than one?

The buzz we've been told by a key supplier source is USF1 is having quite a lot of trouble with FIA crash testing and the team is caught in a battle between older F1 engineers wanting to talk about the problem and younger engineers just wanting to do it. The solution? Combine the Campos Meta1 team and the USF1 team and hope against hope one of the cars, two of the drivers and some combination of remaining sponsors can get enough together to make a few races.

We wonder if maybe it isn't the other way around since it seems Campos has a better sponsorship setup than USF1 right now. Also, ESPN is reporting Campos will announce a new funding solution soon. Could their funding solution be YouTube founder and possibly former USF1-sponsor Chad Hurley, thus creating a rumor that USF1 is buying Campos?

Granted, this is all a crazy rumor, but crazy rumors are all we have right now.

 

[CamaroSS]

Thanks WINDSOR. way to set america back in F1 another 20 years. I hope he doesnt get his old job back. he can go to nascar and be an announcer there w/ all the other F1 rejects.