According to latest rumors, the Canadian ace is even closer to his greatest F1 comeback. Although Stefan GP’s F1 entry hasn’t been yet confirmed from FIA, FOTA and FOM, preparations for the first race of the season are highly significant. After sending their equipment in Bahrain for the first race, Stefanovic invited Jacques Villeneuve, who is considered to be the racing leader of the team, in Cologne in order to fit his seat in the monocoque.
Villeneuve was off F1 racing since 2006 when he departed mid-season from BMW Sauber, however the latest months he was trying hard to secure a comeback in the top motorsport championship. On March 1rst he will be at the factory of Stefan GP in Cologne and 2 days later, Zoran Stefanovic will make a press conference as an ultimate pressure to obtain an entry for the 2010 season in the place of USF1 which seems to have left without sponsorship financial resources.
The first chassis of the team is already ready (not the one in the photo below) and soon there will be a second one. Japanese ex Williams driver and Toyota’s protégé Kazuki Nakajima has already confirmed as an official driver. GP2 driver Pastor Maldonado from Venezuela is rumored as a test driver that can bring a significant amount of money in the team through his driving sponsorship. Moreover, Maldonado is managed by none other than Nicolas Todt, son of FIA President Jean. Last year The Venezuelan drove for Todt Jr.’s ART GP2 team, finishing sixth in the championship.
Finally it is believed that Youtube co-founder, Chad Hurley, who was trying to merge USF1 and Stefan GP will be team’s major sponsor. The Serbian announced that the merging scenario has already failed due to 3rd-party involvement without mentioning its identity.
If Villeneuve and Stefan GP manage to be in the grid at the Bahrain Grand Prix then it is certain that we are going to experience an awesome F1 season where a record 5 F1 world champions Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will be all racing for the F1 glory.
