US F1 and Stefan GP are rumoured to be in merge talks to ensure the participation of a 13th team in the F1 2010 Championship by the first race of the season in Bahrain, under Youtube's full sponsorship support.
American broadcaster Speed TV is reporting that YouTube entrepreneur and US F1 backer Chad Hurley is in talks with Zoran Stefanovic to run Stefan GP's cars under US F1's entry. The solution would neatly bypass the FIA having to open the final grid slot to tender if US F1 fails to overcome its problems.
Opposition is believed to be found by USF1's principals Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson, who are both still hoping to bring an all-American entry back to life. The FIA sent Charlie Whiting to inspect the team's factory on Wednesday but has not indicated whether it will take any action. However, if US F1 comes under pressure from Hurley who is team's major shareholder, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone - who appears to favour Stefan GP over US F1 - Windsor and Anderson may be left with little choice but to accept the merger.
Stefanovic is confident his team can be ready in time to race in Bahrain, but only if he is about to receive confirmation of an entry by the 1rst of March.
Stefan already has a base in Serbia and a foothold at the Toyota factory in Cologne. However the US F1 facility in Charlotte could still be of use as a manufacturing base and It might prove more economical to have parts made in the USA than by Toyota.
Sources say that only one Toyota/Stefan chassis is ready in Cologne, but the second is not yet complete, and a total lack of spares back-up will make the early races difficult. In addition no tyre supplier support has been made yet and either teams have experienced any pre-season testing.
Still the engine will not be badged as a Toyota, although the company will send a handful of fulltime staff members to races to support it. They are likely to be the only current Toyota employees to travel to the races with Stefan.
1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve and ex-Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima would likely drive its Toyota-derived cars with Argentinian USF1 driver Lopez losing his position in the F1 grid.
