f1italia wrote:When will we see American Teams in Formula 1? Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Pontiac. We need more F1 American Champions. We also need a US Grand Prix.
There are a number
of ways this could happen. Multinational car manufacturers with US brand names (
such as Daimler/Chrysler was) can be tempted to use the platform. Given the upcoming Korean GP, I'm interested to see how GM Daewoo will react - some quick thinking might upset Hyundai's possible considerations about capitalising on F1's Asian push. The proximity of the Chinese market is a huge factor in all this.
After the current strongmen of F1 have moved on, the void will hopefully be filled with people who (
lacking the authority in tradition, experience or command of details approaching near-dictatorial leverage) are more prone to clarify and automate the regulatory, legal and business practices in order to secure their own positions - and hopefully also a continued succession. The current manufacturer teams will also be very protective of their status - the sport being all but inaccessible can seem to work in their favour (
albeit Honda, at least, can also reflect on their experience of being left without adversaries in IRL ... and the inevitable downsides to that). But should F1's exposure be the most cost effective in a given market, there's really no reason not to become a title sponsor. Given current manufacturing trends it is unlikely that the rationale would be export driven, but more likely a hybrid arrangement reflecting the current Global playing field. As such, any "US" team wouldn't probably be absolutely that but only by a degree.
What I'd like to see (
and Bernie should give this some thought) is a US based, or at least US engineered, privateer Formula One team. While I see that it is very unlikely that a US car manufacturer would shoulder something like this alone, a privateer might. Such a US operation can't be based solely on F1, but will have to run a couple of nationally recognised "domestic" series as well - and do it well. Let's face it, with 20 races in a season, the sport isn't going to have 17 of those in America just to keep up interest in one of five markets. But with a more diverse and "racing recognisable" enterprise there'd be an incentive for the fans to come see their team battle the "rest of the World" once in a blue moon as the circus visits Indianapolis, Vegas, Montreal, México, or whatever ... and perhaps catch a few more races online/on TV as well.
There are some candidates emerging who have the potential to pull something like this off. And there's also a tradition from an era when motorsports were still more diverse all the way to the top. We're fast moving to a day and age when generations that do still understand, appreciate and remember that mindset fade away, but there's still an opening for them to bridge the gap and help their successors to once again paint the Stars and Stripes large on the World of motorsport. With new flexible design and manufacturing technologies and new media, thinking seriously about accommodating an American team might also benefit the operations of everyone already within Formula One.
)
. Wierd. ( And the weather girl is extremely good looking to say the least!).