US F1 officially out and no place for Stefan GP as 2010 entry list confirmed

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With US F1 gone, BMW Sauber will take over their numbers

The official 2010 F1 entry list has been published by the FIA.

The US F1 team has been dropped from the list and Stefan GP do not appear in their place meaning there will only be 24 cars at the first race in Bahrain. A statement said:

Having considered the various options, the FIA confirms that it is not possible for a replacement team to be entered for the Championship at this late stage.
FIA

HRT, formerly Campos, remain on the list but the team have not tested their car yet or officially announced who will partner Bruno Senna as their second driver.

BMW Sauber have been given car numbers 22 and 23 which were previously reserved for US F1. They are still officially referred to as ‘BMW Sauber F1 Team’ despite the withdrawal of BMW and the fact the team is now using Ferrari engines.

The FIA says it will begin a process to: “fill any vacancies existing at the start of the 2011 season” which presumably will include the place previously held by US F1.

2010 F1 entry list

McLaren-Mercedes

1. Jenson Button
2. Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes Grand Prix

3. Michael Schumacher
4. Nico Rosberg

Red Bull Racing

5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Mark Webber

Scuderia Ferrari

7. Felipe Massa
8. Fernando Alonso

Williams

9. Rubens Barrichello
10. Nico Hulkenberg

Renault F1 Team

11. Robert Kubica
12. Vitaly Petrov

Force India F1 Team

14. Adrian Sutil
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi

Toro Rosso

16. Sebastien Buemi
17. Jaime Alguersuari

Lotus Racing

18. Jarno Trulli
19. Heikki Kovalainen

HRT F1 Team

20. TBA
21. Bruno Senna

BMW Sauber F1 Team

22. Pedro de la Rosa
23. Kamui Kobayashi

Virgin Racing

24. Timo Glock
25. Lucas di Grassi

See the full teams list with reserve drivers: 2010 F1 drivers and teams

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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209 comments on “US F1 officially out and no place for Stefan GP as 2010 entry list confirmed”

  1. An absolute joke!!!! Stefan GP should have got the place!!

    1. Agreed. I was told there would be 13 teams… I want 13 teams.

      1. Absolutely??? Are kidding me? Stephan GP are a bunch of vultures and don’t deserve to be on the grid. What you think they deserve it because they “might” get JV to drive them? JV is washed up and done get over it!!!

        1. They are a team with a completed car that would create a 26 car field. Who cares who drives for them.

          Shame…

        2. Ned Flanders
          4th March 2010, 0:25

          “Stefan GP are a bunch of vultures”

          You wouldn’t happen to be a certain whispering horse from Maranello by any chance, would you?

        3. Stefan GP have a car, USF1 do not
          Stefan GP have money, USF1 do not,
          Stefan GP had experienced drivers, USF1 do not,
          Stefan GP have strong leadership, USF1 do not,
          Stefan GP have Toyota backing, USF1 do not.
          USF1 had an entry, Stefan GP did not.

          Who is the rightful formula one team?
          It is politics, Stefan GP can field a car, a competitive car, and can demonstrate their ability to compete further into the future, It is only politics that have stopped them.

          1. The only reason Stefan GP has a car is because Toyota quit the sport, if that wasn’t the case they would be in the exact same spot as USF1 right now….

          2. Neither. I always thought that Stefan GP’s only way in was to buy the USF1 entry. But they didn’t wanna sell. So that’s that.

          3. Gman your spot on, but they did buy the car and they do have the car, which means they are not in the same spot as USF1.

            Journeyer, yeah ok, that’s fair enough I can see your point.

          4. Mike, Stefan GP pieced together a car waaay too late and it hasn’t been tested. they also never signed a deal with FIA. So, they are not ready. In my eyes, this is just as big…no wait…a bigger FAIL then USF1. Of course, most of the fail responsibility seems to fall on the FIA.

          5. agreed with gman.
            the fact anyone can show up with a car and just expect entry without going through the same entry process as everyone else is arrogant and would have looked bad on the fia.
            imo the fia have done the correct thing as long as come the 2011 season its open to everyone and then the best candidate gets entry.

    2. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 0:33

      i hear ya bro :( :(

      1. Problem is F1 needs a US presence and they clearly want to keep the position open for a US based team. However you look at it F1 is ultimately a business run by people who understandably want to make more money. I am sure given the decision almost anyone would do the same thing. The fact of the matter business have to act (by law) in the interest of their shareholders and shutting the door to an american outfit makes no economic sense and lets face it, who is not going to watch the sport without stephan GP. The hardcore fans who actually know about them trying to feild 13 teams will still watch. The fair weathered fan won’t have noticed let alone care. It is a shame that their ain’t 13 cars but the decision makes considerable sense.

  2. absolutely ridiculous. you’ve got a team with a car ready to go sitting right there, and they’re denied an entry to fill out the out of what appears to be pure petulance. Typical.

    1. The fact that they didn’t follow due process, attempted to sue the FIA, have employed someone who is currently banned from working in Formula One and weren’t even organised enough to sort out their own test probably has something to do with it as well. That and the fact that all the other teams would have had to agree to give them a place, which wasn’t about to happen.

      1. Don’t forget the not-so-good english in which the press releases were written ;)

      2. HounslowBusGarage
        3rd March 2010, 21:24

        Not really fair to criticise them for the failed test. Without tyres, it’s a bit difficult to test.

        1. They should have ordered those tyres on time and then they would have had some.

          1. Yes but they had a car!
            USF1 had tyres but no car, surely they could have met halfway!

          2. Actually, Bridgestone are able to give F1 tyres to teams which are registed for the championship – that Stefan GP is not.

            They should have got hold of some GP2 tyres.

          3. Jarred Walmsley
            3rd March 2010, 22:50

            Actually Bridgestone refused to give them any, so if they had ordered them 10years in advance it would have made no difference. It wasn’t the time in which they took to order them it was Bridgestone refusing to give them any

          4. *arent able that should read…

          5. You should pay more attention to the news stories. They couldn’t source suitable tires as Bridgestone is contractually precluded from distributing it’s F1 and GP2 tires outside of the officially sanctioned teams. Any other tires would have been dangerous. So it wasn’t for a lack of planning that they couldn’t get tires.

          6. spud,

            YOU should actually pay more attention to the news. Perhaps they couldn’t get F1 tyres right now, but if they had actually started getting those earlier they might have.

            The point is, they were planning to do that test on GP2 tyres and they asked Bridgestone for these tyres mere days before the test. So Bridgestone said they couldn’t help on such short notice.

            Bad planning …

        2. Concerning the tyres, they tried to get F1 standard tyres, in order to shows that the car was quite fast,

          Of course as bridgestone is only required to supply tyres to F1 entries, they refused.

          Stefan GP also tried to get GP2 tyres but according to my limited understanding, there was none spare at the time to be bought or had

      3. and they have funny accent? and they have funny haircut? and maybe they… blah… they have the car and are more than ready to go. Anyone else there that can fill up the spot? No. For one thing i admire them for attempt to sue FIA. They actually stud up for them selves and thats something to be proud of and not ashamed. Just give Stefan_gp some credit for having some guts. So sad…

  3. Pathetic from the FIA. It has been clear for ages that USF1 were not going to be able to compete, regardless of the nonsense Windsor and Anderson were sprouting, why couldn’t they do something earlier? The FIA being too stubborn to admit that there selection process failed is the reason why we won’t have afull grid, not an unavoidable shortage of time.

  4. Stupid, as usual FIA doing everything they can to go against what the fans want.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      3rd March 2010, 21:43

      But this time, they’re doing everything they can to follow their own rules.

      1. I agree. Whatever we think of the “deservedness” of a place swap between USF1 and Stefan GP, neither team has met the conditions of entry, and neither should be on the grid.

        This is a low key, but good decision from the FIA. No leaks, no posturing, no ****-stirring. Take a look at the facts, look at the rules, make a decision, and publish it. This is the way it should always have been done.

        1. I quite agree, why hasn’t the FIA always been like this?

          1. Prisoner Monkeys
            3rd March 2010, 22:23

            Because it wasn’t led by Jean Todt?

            In terms of their presidencies, Todt and Mosley have one thing in common: they haven’t done as the fans have wanted. The difference is that Todt isn’t ignoring rules simply because they’re an inconvenience. He’s no doubt decided that the long-term credibility of the FIA is more important than granting an entry to an unknown Serbian team who may not be around after one year in the sport. Todt is apparently already looking at a new system of selecting teams.

          2. Hopefully we can go back to the 107% rule.

          3. The 107% rule just led to a situation where there were lots of teams turning up to F1 races who had no realistic prospect of racing.

            In an era where travel costs were lower, support crews were smaller, 2nd hand cars were common, technology was cheaper, that was just about workable, but even so there were a lot of shoestring budget teams that ended up picking and choosing which races they’d attempt to qualify for. Even at that, most of them would fail.

            I think Jordan stated his budget for the first season in 1991 was $5 million (may have been 15). Can you imagine a 2011 team running its entire season, making cars, and paying drivers for that? Teams need sponsors. Sponsors need exposure. Turning up and not qualifying means no exposure. So the 107% rule will never come back.

        2. I completly agree. This one of the few consistent decisions from the FIA. We need more of those.

          You cannot just, willy nilly, decide who competes and who does not. They need to go through a selection proces. If you start to bend the rules, you open up Pandora’s box. All kinds of Mickey Mouse-outfits will try to be on the grid, and where does it end? When they start to bend the safety rules aswell?
          I applaud the FIA for their consistency, we need more of that.

          On a side note: SGP could/should have bought USF1’s entry, but they didn’t. That would have solved all the problems without bending the rules.

          1. The 107% rule came in in 1996,

    2. Well I’m a fan, and I dont want Stefan on the grid, so I’m sure there doing what some fans want.

      1. I’m not sure why everyone keeps saying the FIA is not listening to the fans. I’m a pretty big F1 fan and I could care less if Stefan GP race. People keep saying they are a respectable F1 team, but all they did was hand some money to Toyota to take over a team. Stefan couldn’t even arrange to have GP2 tires in order to go testing. Does buying a car from Toyota really mean they’re a credible team?

        I applaud FIA for following the rules. Stefan doesn’t have an entry and the rules should not be re-written for them. Plain and simple guys. The FIA is doing the right thing!

        1. Actually people are giving Stefan far too much credit and using false assumptions to prop them up as a legitimate entry. Stefan didn’t buy a car from Toyota or the Toyota team. They leased Toyota’s car FOR 2010 and leased its intellectual property in the car FOR 2010. So essentially all the 2010 Stefan entry would have been was the world’s most expensive rental car. That’s the problem and the reason FIA won’t just hand them an entry, they have a car FOR 2010, but they have NOTHING for 2011. Can they race this year? Almost certainly. But can they race in 2011? There’s nothing there to lay the foundation of a car or team next year. So from the FIA’s perspective how can they give Stefan an entry when they very well could be back in this same situation next year, with a team not making the grid? Stefan doesn’t have the experience, infrastructure, people, or facilities to develop their own car and go racing. The FIA is much better off to wait until they can review all of the proposals from teams that might wish to enter F1 in 2011 and (hopefully this time) pick the one that demonstrates the greatest ability to develop a car and operate a team in the longterm.

  5. It’s a shame we’ll be missing the extra team on the grid. To be honest though…. I’ve seen more from USF1 than from Campos, so I’ll be surprised with what they turn up with.

    1. true. still 24 is better than the 20 we had last year.

      1. Mike "the bike" Schumacher
        3rd March 2010, 22:44

        Ya but no Number 27 :(

        1. Yer i was thinking Kobayashi must be gutted about not getting to drive the 27 car.

  6. Stefan GP did not go through the same process as everyone else and instead tried to barge their way into the grid. I may be in the minority but personally I’m glad they haven’t made it. If they’re so keen, they should re-apply for next year and go through the proper procedure, regardless of how ineffective that procedure may or may not be. They shouldn’t get an advantage just because they carried on with a car (thanks to Toyota) while other credible teams like Prodrive or Lola didn’t.

    I feel their “no more press releases” statment isn’t going to last much longer though!

    1. ” I may be in the minority ”
      This won’t mean much but I agree with you. :) :P

    2. Completely agree.

      Hope that Prodrive or Lola get the spot next year.

    3. Yea, I agree too….they are not ready, the car hasn’t turned a wheel….

      1. HRT are in and neither has theirs…

    4. Completely agree too.

      If they had had a good plan they would have been picked. In fact he had nothing.

      Then he bought some toyota’s and engines. That doesn’t make it a team yet either.

      Besides, Stefanovic said that he was going to test this season and then be ready for the next season to race. A much more sensible approach I would say and a good chance to show that he can actually come true on a promise.

      1. “In fact he had nothing”
        Well nice going USF1- they must have done the great job of showing what they did have.

    5. I completely agree too. all teams who didn’t make it this year now have a full year to get to work, including USF1. I actually saw a 3D drawing of their car in F1 Racing today. It looks quite cool with a very different front wing design than anything i’ve seen from any other team. pity we won’t see it raced. not this year anyway……..

      1. East Londoner
        3rd March 2010, 22:15

        Definatly agree. 2 bad mistakes in attempting to sue the FIA just because they didn’t get a place for engine reasons, and hiring Mike Coughlan. At least we won’t have to see the awful Nakajima and either the washed up Ralf or Villineuve.

        1. Nakajima wasn’t no deletraz, he was quite competitive on his day lay off,

          Villineuve isn’t quick, but he is motivated, and he has experience, I’d rather him than more PR men.

          and Ralf , How to defend him, well, he said some stupid things, and didn’t pull through. so he looks like an idiot, but he’s not exactly washed up yet is he?

    6. What is this some kind of agreement party?!

      Stefan GP went through the same process as everyone else and when they found it to be flawed, biased and nepotistical they pulled out. They fact that they have achieved something that two of the new teams this process exalted have so far failed to do is to their credit. For actually being ready and willing they deserve a shot. Following your line you might argue that it would make a mockery of the rules or processes or other the teams involved but the FIA have already done a good enough job of that for it to be irrelevant. It would be a great story and one that would make many fans happy and enrich the history of the sport and for that reason I think they should be given a shot.

      1. Stefab GP didn’t pull out. They were simply not chosen.

        A nice interview with Stefanovic on the subject:
        http://www.racecar-engineering.com/news/opinion/385984/exclusive-stefan-grand-prix-owner-speaks-out-on-f1-selection-row.html

        1. Oh! I read somewhere they pulled out at the last minute, can’t remember where though.

          1. Maybe that they pulled back their complaint from the EU commission?

  7. Does this mean another stupid points change?

  8. James Brickles
    3rd March 2010, 20:51

    Max Mosely really did leave at the perfect time. He picks the teams on the grounds that the budget cap would go ahead, but the budget cap gets vetoed by FOTA, Max stands down as president and leaves it to someone else to sort out all the occuring mess that would follow.

    1. Yes, but I’m still glad that he’s gone.

  9. At this point, it does seem too late for Stefan (and Campos for that matter). However, the FIA should have let Stefan test (and forced Bridgestone to cough up some tires) so that they could be ready at this point. I’m sure USF1 was stringing them along so that they could either miss 4 races or show up in 2011 and not have to worry about the “vultures” taking their slot, but the FIA should have given Stefan a provisional grid slot that would have been based on one of the teams not being ready by…say…March 3, 2010…..

    I think that Stefan would have jumped at this and forced the test.

    I do think that we’ll see Stefan and/or Campos showing up late though. From what I understand they are allowed to miss 3 races without penalty, right? I think Stefan will be ready by then, and lets face it, they’re not going to score any real amount of points this season, so if that’s how they show up, then that’s fine by me.

  10. Does anyone know how the car numbers are assigned? I thought it was by previous championship order with the teammate receiving the subsequent place, but evidently not.

    1. That’s pretty much correct, unless you’re Shumacher.

      button – 1
      lewis – 2 etc…

      1. Lewis wanted to be 23 in 2008 because it was the MP4-23, his 23rd Birthday on the day it was launched and Hunt won the title in the number 23 Mclaren…

        Of course being Hamilton the FIA didn’t allow his yet Schumacher was handed his number no problems.

        1. I do wish drivers could just choose their numbers (except for the champion…unless they want to of course)

        2. It wasn’t up to the FIA in Shumachers case, it was up to Mercedes and Nico Rosberg.

    2. #1 and 2 go to the team with the reighning world champion. The rest of the established teams go in order of constructors championship positions the previous year. Then ther new teams, who appear to be in random order. Sauber were given 22 & 23 because they were USF1’s numbers, so in order to preserve the orignal numbers as much as possible with Virgin keeping 24 & 25.

      1. ‘ is right. Although I thought the new teams were granted it in the order they were accepted but I may have just made that up in my own mind :P

    3. Let me re-phrase that, it is true for the WDC, so JB carries #1. For the drivers that move teams…Rubens, they do not carry their positions. Brawn got 3,4 because they would have been 1,2 without the driver swap. Vettel would have been 2nd, so he gets the next slot, 5,6…an so on….

      1. No that is wrong. Drivers have nothing to do with it except the champion, all the other teams are just based on the constructors’ championship. Red Bull are 5&6 because they finsihed 2nd in the 09 WCC, not because of Vettel.

        1. right, thats what I was trying to get at, but I was typing it way too fast…I meant RedBull was 2nd so they get the numbers after Brawn….

    4. No, the team can choose which driver gets which number. Only exception is #1 for the World Champion.

  11. James Brickles
    3rd March 2010, 20:54

    And anyway, at least 24 cars is better than 20! ;)

    1. Ned Flanders
      3rd March 2010, 20:59

      Exactly! Since I’ve been watching F1 there have usually been 20 (or 22 at the most) cars on track, so 24 should be great

    2. Hopefully so. However, early indications suggest some of these new teams will be merely making up the numbers – and as such will further degrade the much touted, “pinnacle of motor sport.” Stephan’s approach was a little unconventional, but they do have a car that should not embarrass.

  12. Ned Flanders
    3rd March 2010, 20:56

    I’d have loved to have seen Stefan GP on the grid this season. I was looking forward to the return of Jaques Villenueve and the emergence of a wacky new team from an area where F1 is growing in popularity.

    But it would have been pretty unfair to give Stefan GP a queue jump straight into F1. If they wanted it that badly, they ought to have bought USF1’s entry (hopefully, they might still do this). The right thing to do is give all the potential applicants a fair shot of an entry for 2011 rather than sucumbing to Zoran Stefanovich and Bernie Ecclestone’s pressure.

    1. The fact that USF1 aren’t on the entry list suggests that they no longer have an entry to sell (even if you could sell entries on their own, which you can’t). I think the process will be opened up again for applicants for 2011 – but don’t count on Stefan GP, USF1 or Prodrive getting a place (I imagine they are all on the FIA’s blacklist).

      1. Ned Flanders
        3rd March 2010, 21:04

        You’re probably right, but I’d like to think that the post Mosley FIA wouldn’t be influenced so much by petty grudges on teams/ people they don’t like personally.

        1. Bear in mind that Todt was in charge of Ferrari, during the spy scandal, which involved Mike Coughlan, who is part of Stefan GP…

        2. Nothing to do with personality. Prodrive and USF1 both tried and failed. Stefan GP have Coughlan working for them. Makes sense that none of those would be considered before other applicants without such stains on their reputation.

          1. Ned Flanders
            3rd March 2010, 21:27

            I agree USF1 don’t deserve another chance, but Prodrive were screwed in 2006 by the FIA’s failiure to provide customer cars the first time they applied, and screwed again in 2009 by their insistence that the new teams had to run Cosworth engines. They didn’t seem to do much wrong themselves.

            And if Stefan GP weren’t granted an entry because of Coughlan I think that would reflect Jean Todt’s personal grudge. Apparently he agreed with the FIA he would stay out of F1 for two years, and since those two years are up the FIA should back down. What he did was wrong, but it wasn’t so bad as to justify the FIA permanently excluding him from F1

          2. The FIA didn’t insist teams choose Cosworth engines. Stop perpuating that false rumour.

  13. BMW Sauber Ferrari = worst name FAIL ever….

    hate it, but really like Peter Sauber and the team….and Kob and PDLR…

    1. Ned Flanders
      3rd March 2010, 21:01

      I was hoping ‘Sauber’ (for that is what I shall call them) would have a proper name on this entry list… obviously not.

      BMW Sauber Ferrari has to be the most ridiculous name since… well… HRT Racing!

      1. Yes, to me, they are “Sauber”

      2. “BMW Sauber Ferrari has to be the most ridiculous name since… well… HRT Racing!” …which is the most ridiculous name since Virgin Racing! :P

        1. Virgin and HRT. Imagine if they crash, well that Virgin is a little young for HRT don’t you think?

          An Sauber can’t be any dumber than that insitance last time that BMW was to be refered to as BMW Sauber. Meh it was BMW last year and Sauber this yer, just carrying the baggage of an extra title.

          1. Magnificent_Geoffrey
            3rd March 2010, 23:47

            “Virgin and HRT. Imagine if they crash, well that Virgin is a little young for HRT don’t you think?”

            Thanks. I will never be able to stop thinking of HRT as anything but ‘the menopausal team’ for the rest of the year, now!

          2. Scribe, you’re missing the point. It’s not stupid because of the name Sauber. It is stupid because it is BMW-Ferrari, obvious competitors….

            there is nothing stupid about the names BMW Sauber or Sauber Ferrari….

        2. Hormone Replacement Therapy Racing?

          Yeah, that is a dumb name for a team :)

  14. I am disappointed that Stefan GP haven’t been allowed to participate, but it does make a lot of sense. It’s a very late stage to add a team to the grid, and even though Stefan GP is seemingly ready to race (which isn’t exactly certain given that they haven’t had the opportunity to do testing) it would not benefit the sport to have a new team in for just one season. The FIA would need to determine their long term viability, which could be questionable since they would likely need to build their own car for 2011.

    Going to a selection procedure for 2011 instead is a prudent decision, and hopefully they’ll do it properly this time.

  15. You can’t miss any races ‘without penalty’

    So, does this mean USF1 (or whatever) will have to re-apply for entry in 2011, or do they have a guaranteed entry slot?

  16. So it’s Pedro de La Rosa for 2010 Driver’s Champion? ;)

    1. no no no , not every year , the driver with number 22 is going to be the champion

  17. HounslowBusGarage
    3rd March 2010, 21:18

    I find it very odd that there doesn’t seem to be a sort of ‘reserve list’ in Formula One this year.
    In other sports there’s often a first reserve player who takes part if one of the selected teams or players doesn’t turn up. If the FIA had set up this kind of facility for this season, US F1 could have been replaced by the first reserve team with ease and equanimity all round. It would not depend on the unanimous acceptance of all the other teams.
    But supposing HRT don’t turn up at Bahrein.
    No one has seen their car, they don’t appear to have a second driver yet. Have they even started the engine yet?
    Supposing they don’t turn up, and the grid is reduced to 22. How stupid will the FIA look then?

    1. Having a reserve player cost a few thousand dollars.

      Having a reserve F1 team cost millions of dollars. And the reserve team would have to cough up all that money themselves. what if they don’t get to participate….

      the only way new teams actually build cars and enter F1 is by being guaranteed a spot (except for Stefan).

      1. HounslowBusGarage
        3rd March 2010, 22:48

        . . . and if they don’t get to participate the FIA award them 50% of the participation money.

    2. Is the entry list always released this late? What a mess! Todd seems sensible so far, so let’s see how things look from here on in. Too bad two cars ready to go aren’t going to be there.

      1. HounslowBusGarage
        3rd March 2010, 23:15

        Yes, precisely. There are two spare grid slots and two cars ready to race, but the beaurocracy cannot seem to mate on with the other.
        Pathetic.

    3. Sauber was on the reserve list. They took the free slot that Toyota left behind.

      “Supposing they don’t turn up, and the grid is reduced to 22. How stupid will the FIA look then?”

      Less stupid than if there had only been 18 cars …

      1. HounslowBusGarage
        3rd March 2010, 22:51

        But how stupid, given that there at least two cars from Stefan looking for somewhere to race.
        More stupid. Because it will be the FIA’s failure and not the failure of the teams.

        1. We don’t actually know this.

          Have you seen the cars? Have you seen them drive? Do you know Stefan GP is a team that could actually compete in a complete season? Do you know that Stefan GP is a team at all and not just some Toyota workers that started the car once?

          All we know is that he pumps out press releases a lot so he must have people doing that. Other than that we just have his word for it.

    4. @ HounslowBusGarage

      I heard Chandhok will partner Senna, with Lopez the reserve driver.

      1. HounslowBusGarage
        3rd March 2010, 23:04

        Yes, but that’s the point isn’t it. You have ‘heard’, I have ‘read’ etc, but there is very limited information coming from the team themselves.
        When US F1, who were prolific in their communications, went quiet we all smelt a rat and suspected that the car would not appear.
        Now with HRT, we are reduced to the “I’ve heard” level of communication less than two weeks away from the first race, and so I wonder if they really will appear on the grid.
        I sincerely hope they do, as I hoped US F1 would do too. F1 needs as may new, enthusiastic entrants as it can get. And if HRT do not appear, the FIA will look pretty stupid in refusing Stefan their late and albeit irregular entry.

  18. 1 word joke, i hope the FIA get a grilling over this , as they deserve it, and as said above if only 20 turn up the FIA will go red faced and for me personally, i hope this does happen.

  19. I suspect that Stephan GP were not as ready for racing as they claimed to be. The whole organisation seemed more intent on forcing the hand of the FIA through media statements rather than prepare their team to race. I suspect the deal with Toyota wasn’t as guaranteed as they suggested and the FIA knew this.

    1. My understanding was that Stefan had leased (not bought) the Toyota equipment and the deal may even have been conditional on SGP getting an entry.

  20. You may grill me but Stefan wouldn’t have fared better than the late Super Aguri Team, struggling for resources after midseason just to drop – With an inmense debt – in 2011.

    You can’t cure an illness by getting another, they’ve signed an agreement with Campos thus they gave them the last chance but I’m sure they’re rolling their eyes and banging their heads with the whole new teams fiasco.

    This is Max Mosley’s creature but they’ve got to oblige their legal bindings. It’s a though job been the authority.

    Todt will bring up the customer cars some day by 2012 when the whole thing is over… you’ll see.

  21. Can people just stop whining about “the mess with the new teams” already?

    We have two new teams and they seem to be doing well. Their times are reasonably close and Virgin is showing that you can indeed run a F1 team for 45 million.

    So stop crying about the 1 or 2 teams that failed to materialise and focus on the two new teams that did!

  22. Maybe they saw something about StefanGP that we don’t know yet?

    Maybe Stefan GP is probably yet another cheap team with no sufficient money to stay in the circus the whole year?

    the fact that they have Toyota chassis and engines, and a weird line up doesn’t guarantee that they will be able to ship equipment to all races, race their cars, etc…

  23. ‘officially announced when will partner Bruno Senna’
    i think you me ‘who’ keith.

    1. Fixed, ta.

  24. That’s a real shame! Hopefully Stefan GP can get the green light now

  25. I hope we will see stefan gp later in the season then.

    I believe they weren’t accepted because they didn’t want to use the cosworth engine, like prodrive!

    Too bad one cosworth customer is gone now :)
    I would love to see Villeneuve in the stefan toyota :)

    1. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 0:31

      i hear ya bro :( :( :(

  26. Just because you really want to be there does not allow you in. The rules were not followed and therefor no entry. The cock up has been by USF1, they said they would be there and can’t turn up. That does not mean there is an opening for another team.

    1. Didn’t Lotus only get a place because there was an opening after Toyota dropped out?

      1. After BMW dropped out. Toyota pulled out after the end of the season.

      2. To fill the free slot that opened up after BMW withdrew, there was a quick slection process where Lotus and Sauber were both considered.

        Lotus was picked on that occasion and Sauber stayed on the reserve list. Later, when Toyota dropped out, Sauber was taken off the reserve list.

        I guess at that time the reserve list was technically empty since most original applicants already said they wanted to drop out.

  27. HRT F1 lol…. My mum might like them.

  28. All I can say that the FIA are a ******* jokeshop!!!!!

    1. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 0:30

      i hear ya bro :( :(

  29. Who cares all these new teams have bombed, they would have been cr@p anyway…

    1. Hi Luca! :)

  30. Alonso-fan UK
    3rd March 2010, 22:52

    This in my eyes is a joke, USF1 should have pulled out ages ago, Stefan gp should have it, they have a car ready to go, but I am really looking forward to stefans response to the FIA

  31. Now there is a bigger percentage of cars grabbing some points than last year…
    2009 8/20 40%
    2010 10/24 41,6%

  32. I would say it would have been nice to see Toyota’s already designed and sold car on track. If Stefan GP is not allowed to compete because of no any testing yet, then Campos GP or whatever they call themselves should not be allowed as well!

  33. where is number 13 they omitted from the list and jumped to 14 why is tat I don’t understand
    Renault F1 Team

    11. Robert Kubica
    12. Vitaly Petrov

    Force India F1 Team

    14. Adrian Sutil (this should be 13)
    15. Vitantonio Liuzzi

    Toro Rosso

    16. Sebastien Buemi
    17. Jaime Alguersuari

    1. I’m afraid it’s nothing but silly superstition: Your questions: F1 and the number 13

      1. Thanks Keith I thougt that it’s just a stupid superstition
        that people have but to approve by FIA it’s just even more stupid

        1. Well…looks like Schumacher is not the only one here!!

  34. Mouse_Nightshirt
    3rd March 2010, 23:37

    Here’s a question, when was the last time the runner up in the championship ended up with the number 5 on their car. I’m sure I could work it out, but I’m tired, help a tired man out ;)

    1. The last time the runner-up ended up with #5… was in 1996, when 1995 runner-up Damon Hill ended up with car #5 (after Schumacher moved to Ferrari and took #1 with him, leaving Benetton with #3).

      That was actually the first year F1 used what is the current car numbering system.

  35. It does feel like a bit of waste when there is a team ready to go, yet they can’t get on the grid. But the FIA have to follow the rules to give themselves some creditability, and Stefan GP tried to just take advantage of USF1’s failings.

    As much as I admire them for showing the dedication and commitment to getting onto the 2010 grid, they should have followed the rules and gained their place the way all the other new teams did. I would’ve like to have seen them, but life goes on, lol.

    1. To be fair, they tried to gain a place, found the selection procedure to be biased, and realised that they were STILL a better candidate and persisted until now when they were proved right.

      1. If by bias you mean the FIA only selected teams who matched their targets, conditions and survived the selection process then yes they were. If you are referring to the Cosworth rumours then they are just rumors and it is unfair on the FIA when such accusations are made without any real evidence

        1. Yeah I meant the Cosworth allegations. Perhaps it is unfair, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised. Perhaps prodrive really weren’t as good a proposition as the others, but I’d be surprised that that was the issue rather than having a Mercedes ‘deal.’ If I’m being unfair it’s probably because the Fia did as much as possible over the last year or too to try and make me hate the sport. I lost respect for them and as a result wouldn’t put anything past them.

          1. the end of the didn’t make much sense.

            *If I’m being unfair it’s probably because the Fia did as much as possible over the last year or more to try and make me hate the sport. I lost respect for them and as a result wouldn’t put anything past them.

  36. does anyone else think those tyres on that sauber look tiny!!!

  37. So ‘it is not possible for a replacement,’ despite the fact that IT IS possible for a replacement?

    Sorry but it gets to the point where you have to accept that the FIA are retarded.

    1. Stefan wasn’t in the original replacement list (which Lotus and Epsilon Euskadi were part of previously after BMW pulled out). And I don’t think the sport has ever done a swap so close to the start of the season. It’s just asking for trouble.

      1. I just don’t see what trouble could have been caused. Perhaps Stefan would have fallen flat on their face, but that would have only meant a loss of face for them, not the FIA, who would have been seen to be doing their best to ensure a better standard of racing ni 2010.

    2. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 0:29

      i hear ya bro :(

  38. 2 wrongs don’t make a right here. The FIA shouldn’t just be letting Stefan in just because there’s empty spaces on the grid. There is a process that needs to be followed, and breaking it (again) for Stefan doesn’t make any sense to me. We’ll still have 24 cars, and that’s still much more than we’ve had in the last decade or so.

    1. The only way Stefan was getting in was if they managed to buy USF1’s entry. The moment KA showed he wasn’t gonna let his dream die, he had also sunk Stefan’s hopes (Which is pretty poor on KA’s part, if you ask me). But rules are rules, and that’s how it should work.

    2. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 0:38

      So if they would let Usgp skip four races, why not let Stefan get one race prep time and let them test?

      1. Thing is, they didn’t let USF1 skip any races at all. As it stands, USF1 has no guarantee they will ever be in F1.

  39. It’s not over till the short man sings… ;p

    1. You mean Todt? :) He’s a bit healthy too.

    2. Jean is a girl’s name anyways.

  40. Thanks God & FIA because Kazuki Nakajima won’t be driving in 2010 in F1. Hope that 2009 was his last season in this sport…

  41. Aleksandar Serbia
    4th March 2010, 1:18

    If Us GP were allowed to miss 4 races give Stefan 1, it will do, to test and prep up, but Fia really showed they didn’t want them all together!
    Ferrari proved they are in control and do not want more teams to cut the sponsor pie.

    Good ridden to the Balkan boys, they are bad people and need to be removed for their insolence and perseverance to enter such a prestigious club.

    Let this be a Fia trademark, signed with an approval of the gall of Black Horse, the name suits their canker of privilege.

    Now i can only look with eyes of sorrow,
    our maiden team denied flight,
    for its dreams were to fly among the chosen few,
    who laugh in their demise..

  42. Stefan GP being refused an entry is exactly the outcome I expected the moment I first heard about their existence and their intentions simply because I clearly remembered this farce from 2002 involving someone buying a few old Prost GP cars, some old engines and then expecting to turn up at the start of the season and race:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Finance

    The sentimental side of me would always say give the underdogs a fighting chance, surely more cars on the grid is “a good thing”?! But in the cold light of day the rules are quite simple and so they should be to protect the quality of F1’s image as a global sport and as the pinnacle of motorsport; after the deadline for entries, No Entry = No Entry

    The FIA have come under enough flack from, of all people, the established F1 teams themselves for allegedly lowering their standards and allowing “have-a-go heroes” to attempt to put cars on the grid in Bahrain. Of course those nay sayers are the same self indulgent fat cats who have just spent the last decade in the sport being lavished by manufacturer money and have become so blinded by it that they don’t appear to have noticed that nearly all the manufacturers and certainly all of the free-flowing money has gone so I wish they would wake up, smell the bacon, get off their high horses and remember what F1 was like before the mid-90’s, the way it was for decades, with “have-a-go heroes” coming and going but always capturing the hearts of true race fans everywhere for their determination in the face of such adversities as the sheer cost and effort of making it on to an F1 grid. I for one won’t be sneering at Lotus, Virgin or Campos/Hispania when their cars break, instead I’ll be cheering for them when they finish a race in one piece. Those nay saying F1 fat cats seem to need to be reminded that they ALL had to start somewhere and that back then, for them, small successes meant the world. To the new teams I say stay humble, but walk past the established team’s pit garages with pride.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      4th March 2010, 2:26

      Phoenix Finance and Stefan GP are not in the same boat. Phoenix never actually intended on racing; it was actually an attempt by Tom Walkinshaw to acquire the remains of Prost and cannibalise them to keep his struggling Arrows team afloat.

      1. good point PM

  43. So Stefan GP send things in Bahrain for nothing.I am happy that USF1 didn’t make it, & feels very sad for Prodrive that they didn’t get a slot.

  44. I am not so sure that it is all over for Stefan GP at this moment.

    Apparently the FIA are doing some sort of “business assessment” into the team and they could yet still be OK to turn up in Bahrain.

  45. Why Stefan GP don’t take the USF1 space?

    1. Rules and politics my friend. ;)

  46. I was really hoping to see Jacques out there again.

    He must be totally bummed too being only eight days from a possible ride.

  47. I think what everyone is forgetting, or is afraid to mention, is that the only reason Stefan GP is firing their mouths off is because Toyota quit the sport. If Toyota had never pulled out, Stefan would never have a car ready today. Heck, for that matter they only have one complete car from what I understand- Toyota weren’t even nice enough to finish the second car for them!

    I understand people want to see 26 cars on the grid, but perhaps they should quit the hero worshiping of Stefan. They only reason they are even close to race ready is because they took over an existing outfit- it was no design/production work of their own. If Toyota had not quit, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation….

    1. As many times before i said and here it goes again – Did you forget how the brown gp started? They bought Honda’s team…well if what you say is true then if Honda haven’t backed down from sport brown wouldn’t have championship! please stop going this path as it is dead end. So sad..

    2. What happen with Honda,Brawn last year bro?

  48. most likely Stefan GP will get the nod for next year… there is a good chance that SGP will be on grid 2011… USF1 team managers are bunch of liars… can’t see them getting another chance.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      4th March 2010, 8:37

      You’re assuming that the entry bid process for 2011 will only be held between Stefan and USF1. Jean Todt has reportedly promised a new system, which could be attractive to a lot of potential bidders.

      1. yup i made that assumption, as i see there is nobody out there to commit money to F1 right now… i hope there are more choices for 2011… F1 is very europe centric & it does have some exposure to asia… but i don’t see why would any US sponsor to back an F1 team… hence my feeling is that the new team will be prolly from Europe and someone who has tons of money with some sponsorship… and since Europe economy is not doing great it will attract very few people…

        If F1 wants to improve it’s health it needs to have atleast 2 to 3 races in America 1 Canada & 1 more in South America besides Brazil… if not more…

        1. I keep hearing people say that: ‘Why would a US company sponsor an F1 team?’ Yet AT&T has been the title sponsor of Williams since ’07!

          I do also like the idea of more teams based outside of Europe, however.

  49. Keith, FWIW, this is SO calling for a poll. Let’s see how the crowd splits up. :)

  50. FIA’s “rules” are worthless. They make them up and change them – or ignore them – as they feel like it. Take for instance the IndyCar event that is to take place on the streets of Sao Paulo on March 14th.. the track had its *initial* on-site FIA-inspection yesterday, March 3rd, and work is still underway and not all the asphalt is even completed yet. But ‘Rule 3.4’ of the FIA’s ‘Appendix O to the International Sporting Code’ says that the *final inspection* (which is scheduled for some time between now and March 14th) “should take place not later than 60 days before the event”.
    Screencap of rule:
    http://easycaptures.com/fs/uploaded/254/8901696140.png
    Photo of track taken Feb 1st (41 days prior to event): http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/4322602365_423862a904.jpg

    Why have rules if they’re not going to follow them?

    1. I didn’t think the FIA had anything to do with IndyCar.

      1. You thought wrong then. IndyCar is a member of ACCUS, which is FIA’s American affiliate. The Brazilian FIA affiliate “CBA” has said if the FIA does not approve the track, they can not sanction the event for fear of the reprisal from the FIA. http://www.cba.org.br/site/noticias.php?acao=noticia&id=122&proxima=0 says final inspection is Friday, which would be less than 24hrs before cars hit the track. Something stinks.

  51. its not like they are replacing the president of the usa or anything, it’s a team. name on paper.

    they have a tested car and are ready to go, why cant they put a rush on and get stefan in there.

    even if it’s not for the first race, rush the papers for the second race.

    1. If they’re not in the first race, they can’t be in it at all. It’s the provisions of the Concorde. The only way they get in is if ALL the teams agree. And with Coughlan there, both Ferrari and McLaren – at the very least – will say no.

  52. Boo to USF1 for dragging such a long time, although they knew it way before this, that they’re gonna wind up this season and try the next season but I simply doubt they will ever show up in F1. RIP USF1!

    Sad for Stefan GP as I highly hope that USF1 would be kicked out and we would still see 13 teams. Would love to see JV back but silly that FIA has such crap inconsistency in rules and regulations.

    Hopefully 12 teams stay on and we won’t see F1 teams leaving soon. Pity we won’t see the return of car #27 since 1995. It would be great if Stefan GP makes it with Nakajima on #26 and JV on #27 (driving his dad’s number in his Ferrari days).

  53. I’d like to take a moment to express a personal opinion. There are those here, you know who you are, who persist in posting comments containing personal attacks, racist epiteths, foul language and other things not allowed in this site’s TOS. Frankly, I am sick of it.

    You have a right to your opinion privately in any form, but you have a privilege to post your opinion here only if you follow the rules. If you cannot or will not follow the rules, then you have no place being here.

    This is the way of the real world. If you refuse to follow the rules, you lose the privilege of participating.

    This is my personal opinion, I do not speak for the management here.

  54. For years there was a lot of complaining about the way F1 was run, that it had no stable governance, that it didn’t follow it’s own rules, that Mosley ran F1 from the FiA President’s office as though it were his own private plaything to be made to march and strut to Mosley’s every whim.

    Now, it appears that with this new President that we may indeed have the beginnings of stable governance, a start to F1 and FiA following it’s own rules.

    And some people are still complaining. I have but one question: What’s wrong with this picture?

    1. I guess the question is, is this stable governance or did Todt just switch from obeying Ecclestone (as was the case under Mosley) to obeying Ferrari’s wishes?

      I’m hoping it’s stable governance, but only time will tell.

  55. The Dutch Bear
    4th March 2010, 8:44

    It’s a shame that Stefan GP isn’t there. They deserved this place much more than USF1 did. 26 is always than 24. However,I think it’s good that Todt is thinking about the FIA’s creditbility. Mosley should have started doing that a very long time ago!

  56. Not sure if already mentioned but Hispania (formerly Campos) is to confirm indian driver Karun Chandhok as his second driver this afternoon in Murcia during the official launch of the team.

  57. Well at least we will still have more cars on the grid than last year.

    Because of how the sport has been run in recent years I thought, no matter what the rules say that a deal would be done to get Stefan GP on the grid especially as it seemed they had Ecclestone’s backing.

    It is shame about the BMW Sauber Ferrari name though.

  58. I think most of you guys are forgetting the most important thing… its only just over a week til the cars roll out of the garages for 1st practise of 2010, its the start of a brand new season with so much to look forward to. We have 24 cars, 2 new teams who don’t look as though they’re doing too badly. Bring on the rivalries, bring on the competition, bring on the racing!!!

  59. This is a travesty, SGP should have been granted the last entry. I hope the Stefan story is not dead yet.
    On a positive, we have more cars than last year and the first race is just ten days away.

    1. Why should they have been given the entry? Based on what rule? Why not simply apply for 2011? Why the incredible rush to get another untrustworthy team on the grid who has literlay not shown anything that would prove it’s more than just PR?

      Is a big mouth and a press agent really enough to start an F1 team these days?

  60. Please read this [http://www.heliwave.com/Quran.and.2012.pdf] as we seem to be having more frequent earthquakes. Today it was Taiwan’s turn.

  61. First, let anyone who meets the criteria be able to turn up and race, with only the top 26 qualifying. What’s the problem with that ? It is natural selection at work.

    Second, must be galling for Lewis Hamilton to be given #2 and Alonso to be given #8 :)

  62. Bernie Ecclestone must quit! They don’t want StefanGP because it’s not made in U.S.A. That’s All.

    1. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 12:57

      Thanx bro , it is a simple equation of sponsor value, Usa has more to offer, and next year they can skip half the races and still be granted entry!
      Fia showed its true face, the one of corruption and greed, racing is dead, long live the marketplace and who has deeper pockets.
      F1 went from a privateer dream, to a corporate monopoly.

      1. Maybe in Serbia you can bully or pay your way around the rules, but the fact that FIA adheres to it’s own rules (these days) is hardly proof that there is some sinister ulterior motive behind the decision.

        1. Aleksandar Serbia
          4th March 2010, 14:46

          Patrick if there is any bully in here it is Ferrari and its influence over Fia, even Bernie admitted them being payed to stay in f1, how can Zoran bully anything, he never got the tires, his only crime is persistence, and by your tone you suggest Serbia is more prone to corruption than Uk, i hardly think so ;)
          The main bull here is the black horse and its appetite for less and less teams.
          They want 3 cars per team so they get more sponsor money, this is the ultimate truth!

          1. The bullying I see is that Stefan GP simply didn’t get the license and then after buying the Toyota cars he tried to bully his way onto the grid.

            It’s like he didn’t get an invitation to a party and then showed up in his prom dress making a scene at the door that he has the dress and someone else got sick so he should be let in. Then he tries to get other people to feel for him and mobilizes the herd mentality of the crowd who like to see some commotion.

            Still, he doesn’t have an invitation …

            BTW Serbia has a huge corruption problem. The Corruption index is 3.5 (out of 10) that’s seriously bad.
            http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table

            My girlfriend is from Bulgaria. I know how bad corruption is in Eastern European countries.

    2. Ecclestone was the one who tried to get Stefan GP in. He sent a team to evaluate the team’s financial and technical abilities to see if they could get a slot on the grid.

      Guess they didn’t pass the exam …

      1. Aleksandar Serbia
        4th March 2010, 14:48

        Bernie only acted that way, you never got the proof only his words, the final word isn’t his but that of the Black Horse Mountain Zemolo big mouth chief.

  63. When are you going to understand that you have to follow the rules of entry and since they have not done so the result was obvious. It also would have required all teams to approve entry and while it is easy to say Ferrari would have blocked it I think Mclaren would have done the same for the same reason and lets not forget williams who try to block anything that will affect the money the get from F1. They are in the sport and want to protect their position.

    1. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 14:57

      You are in the last position to criticize any team since Ferrari has special privilege to the sport!
      How can you speak of rules in F1,and then say no team would like them to enter F1 because they will take money from them?
      This is not equality but monopoly of grid spot!
      If there is to be fair play in F1, Fia should decide, not the teams, they are always in favor of less competition.

      1. I can understand why you are not happy because Stefan have not been accepted into this years race but you can’t just have a dig at everyone how feels differently from you. You have been abusive, made sexual derogatory remarks and treated every pro Stefan comment as if it came from a blood brother.
        Whether you like it or not Ferrari did have an historical with the FIA that was never secret, it was during a time in F1 (long before you were born I imagine) when the sport very nearly disappeared for good.
        Everyone in F1 seems to accept this but still you continue to go on as if you have discovered hidden knowledge.
        What Stefan GP needs to do is go through the correct procedure and try to obtain entry next year after meeting the requirements they have failed to do this time.
        USF1 was a joke from start to finish and they should have never had a place on the grid but you can’t blame JT for a situation he inherited from Max.

        1. Aleksandar Serbia
          4th March 2010, 16:18

          So not being a secret gives them even bigger credibility?
          I think my pro remarks have their aggressive passion behind them, and your every nod to what every Stefan hater had to say makes you quite the laudable chap.
          Stop hiding behind the mask of righteous f1 fan, there are only words of condemnation and bias behind them!

          Where is the Joie de vivre of a fan that wants to see more life being brought upon such a pale and monotonous racing society.
          Rules are made for the purpose of accommodating order, i agree with you on that point, but if you have a situation that requires a little bend for the sake of
          freshness renewed, F1 should have reacted better.
          If they had knew all along Stefan was denied entry,let them ship 6+ tons of cargo to Bahrain, why wait so long to torture them?
          Surely they were confused, and wanted Usgp till the last moment, but they succumbed to a disease called failure.
          The spirit of Christopher Columbus made their corporate eyes shine for the prize of Us sponsor money, and bend rules for them!
          Why not give Stefan 1 race prep time, but hey they already contacted Bridgstone so they don’t get the tires!
          Ferrari is behind all this, their wooden horse named Todt infiltrated the Fia and proves to be an elongated arm of Montezemolo!
          The next step; Montezemolo himself is the guardian to an F1 entry, why not be honest and just let them run the sport from the front, and not from the back like some secret mason organization.

          1. “If they had knew all along Stefan was denied entry,let them ship 6+ tons of cargo to Bahrain, why wait so long to torture them?”

            They were told in July 2009 that they didn’t get a license.

  64. I am disappointed by the FIA’s decision to not include Stefan Gp in the official 2010 championship lineup, and with many others on this site, I too agree that this decision is suspicious at best and downright criminal at worst.
    Less than eighteen months ago, the sport was in a crisis following the departure of Honda and Max Mosley was constantly saying that F1 had to lower its running costs to encourage new teams into the sport. Here we had a team in Stefan Gp that had a chassis, had the engines, and the manpower to make everything work, and were prepared to fly out to Bahrain to compete. And what did the FIA decide to do?
    Yet, as others have already mentioned, USF1 have been all but defunct for weeks. Over a month ago the factory in Charlotte, North Carolina, that the team were renting was sold. No car had been launched let alone tested, no sponsors! To add insult to injury, the so called ‘team’ asked the FIA if it could miss the first four grands prix of the season. It was a situation that could have been dealt with, and should have been dealt with, months ago when the bulk of the other F1 teams launched their cars. Yet another cock up!

    1. Aleksandar Serbia
      4th March 2010, 15:08

      The limit thank you for your support, as we see Us gp were granted immunity from F1 laws by skipping races, Stefan was denied of tires so they could not test!
      Us is a more lucrative market, therefor Stefan was denied entry based on calculative sponsor value, and not who is the most eager to do so!
      Zoran should have spend money on bribing those officials, i hope he learned for next year to come; money talks, perseverance walks…

      1. Sorry to stand in the way of your (understanable) enthusiasm for a Serbian F1 team. This short article from F1technical
        http://www.f1technical.net/news/14333?sid=e620db7f6213382df276f4cfff25f1f4
        makes an interesting point about the financial background of StefanGP. If he fooled Bernie, Toyota, Jaques V etc. he is doing this clever however.

  65. Marc Connell
    4th March 2010, 15:27

    stefan gp have more of a car usf1 have…they actually have a car so they should be able to join.

  66. It’s probably all because of Cosworth Engines that SGP didn’t get an entry.

  67. It’s a shame for Peter Windsor.
    He used to do pre-race interviews on SpeedTV in the US and as everyone knows, also did the official post-race interviews. It’s a shame because even if he got his old job back, no one would speak to him anymore because he has lost all respect.

  68. Well the hate from Shu an Tolt over Villineuve cares on…trust me you will never see a usa gp ever again

  69. I believe Ferrari made it clear they have no knowledge of biology as what they presume to be vulture must be an Eagle on Serbian national emblem. So for the future please be aware of this fact. As for the Stefan GP it is a shame that it wasn’t allowed to show what they have. also one more remark if i remember good they did a crash test right? and passed it if i’m not mistaken so they must have a car ready to go so its not really just hear say but there must be some proof in their statements…

  70. Finally, a FIA-decision I actually agree with! That was due for a loooooooooooooooooooooong time. To me it’s quite simple. USF1 can’t be on the grid, they could have been but they failed miserably in trying to finish their car, so they can’t drive. It would have been a complete sharade anyway with that Lopez and some other rooky driving a car without any testing.. SO that’s a good decision, the’re out.

    Stefan GP didn’t have an entry to begin with. They did have an experienced driver and things would have been different had they done some testing. Surely the first half of the season they would have been driving chicane’s ala Badoer for the other teams, who did a month of testing and won seconds and reliability. I don’t believe for second that Stefan GP would have been competative. Try again next year! We’ll have 14 at least half competative teams on the grid!

    I’m curious to HRT btw, I think that’s going to be the driving-chicane-scenario I presented above..

  71. Its a pipe dream but it would be nice if the FIA gave us much more of an insight into their decision making processes for the starting grid and other matters…

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