'USF1 ask to miss the entire Championship'

USF1 have reportedly asked the FIA if they can defer their entry into Formula One until 2011.

USF1's financial struggles have made headlines over the past few months with reports claiming that staff were paid late in January, some have already walked away, including their only confirmed driver Jose Maria Lopez, and that the car is not even close to being finished.

And although the team hasn't confirmed or denied the various reports of trouble, co-founder Ken Anderson did finally admit last month that the team would not be ready in time for the season-opening Bahrain GP.

"We're working with the FIA to clarify how many races we can miss," he told the New York Times. "In an ideal world, we can miss the first four races and show up in Barcelona."

However, according to SpeedTV, that request to miss the opening four grands prix has subsequently turned into a request to miss the entire season.

The US-based website claims that USF1 have asked for their entry to be deferred to 2011, even offering to pay motorsport's governing body a "substantial, seven-figure" surety bond as evidence of their intention to join the grid next year.

The team has yet to comment on this latest report while it remains to be seen whether Stefan GP, who are campaigning for a place on the grid, will be handed USF1's slot.

Source: 'USF1 ask to miss the entire Championship' - Planet-F1 News from planet-f1.com