It's Official! US F1 Team Announces Jose Maria Lopez As Driver For 2010 Season

[MSulka]

http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid= 126805

US F1 Team announced today that they have signed the former Renault F1 Team test driver, Jose Maria "Pechito" Lopez (26), to race with them in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. Lopez will be the 24th Argentine* to race in Formula One, sustaining a heritage that began sixty years ago when Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilan "Pepe" Gonzalez took the F1 world by storm.

[Paul Goldman]

Much as I will defend USF1 in the hopes that they get a couple of cars on the grid this year, I'm underwhelmed with the purchase of this seat.

I have this hair-brained theory, or hope rather, that Lopez is part of a one-two punch in getting a U.S. driver. Given that Latin Americans are the fastest growing population in the states, it makes good marketing sense to have both a Spanish and English (American) speaking team. So Lopez ticks off the (testing) experience boxes.

One guy I've not seen mentioned on this forum as a prospect is John Edwards. I saw him on TV once in Europe when he was like 14 or 15. Other than internet anecdotal stuff, does anyone know much about him?

[RacerX]

I think that covers my reaction....

[Insighter]

Also unimpressed, but at this point, just getting a driver signed seems like progress.

[f1fan-sky]

Whoop de doo--I'm underwhelmed!

[IndyAndy]

Hopefully, his days as a 'former test driver' will pay some dividends. I'm sure that what USF1 will mostly need this year is someone to tell them what changes the car needs to make it better. If he can do that fairly well, then that will be half the battle won right there.

[diamonddave]

wOw just WoW!!!
what kyle busch wasn't available

[Touchette]

Originally Posted by diamonddave

what kyle busch wasn't available

They probably couldn't afford him...

[skidmark]

Originally Posted by Paul Goldman

One guy I've not seen mentioned on this forum as a prospect is John Edwards. I saw him on TV once in Europe when he was like 14 or 15. Other than internet anecdotal stuff, does anyone know much about him?

Was something of an up an comer with Red Bull's Jr. program, but they tossed him aside after his first season in Atlantics. They really put him into that series too earlier in his career to expect much in results.

He went down to Star-Mazda where he had a stellar year and followed that up with a championship year in Atlantics last season - albeit running against a much weaker field than what he was up against in his first season.

I expect he'll be going to IndyLights next season - which will be a good move for him. At 18, he's got some time to grow and be more polished. He's already pretty good in front of a camera (TV wise) and strikes me as a more serious type of guy - not a lot of quips coming out of him.