Essential Reading for February 8th, 2009

Recommended links for February 8th, 2009:

• The American F1 team – rumours and possibilities – The idea of the US team has been kicking around for some time and popped up last summer when Ken Anderson was linked to the idea of a second Honda team.

  According to stories we have heard the plan is to design and build the cars in Charlotte, with a European base being established at Epsilon Euskadi, in the town of Azkoitia, near Bilbao, in Spain.

• New American team to launch F1 bid – A new bid to bring an American team into Formula 1 in 2010 is set to be officially launched within the next month.

  The official launch of USF1 will take place on American broadcaster SPEED TV, for whom Windsor commentates, in late February or early March.

• Cost cuts saved my seat – Bourdais – Sebastien Bourdais is the person to add his voice to praise for F1's dramatic cost cutting measures for the 2009 season, saying the reduced budget required by teams to compete was key to his being retained by Toro Rosso for a second season.
• Turkish GP’s long-term future in doubt – Turkish Grand Prix organisers fear they could lose their Formula One race after 2011, amid reports that Bernie Ecclestone does not plan to renew his current deal with the Istanbul Park circuit.

  The Today's Zaman newspaper reports that Ecclestone, who took charge of the track several years ago, has given the circuit's original builder and financier the Istabul Chamber of Commerce notice that he plans to take the race off the F1 calendar after three more years.