F1: Cosworth To Make Comeback With USGPE?

Engine manufacturer Cosworth is poised to make a surprise return to the Formula One scene after USGPE (formerly USF1) co-founder Peter Windsor revealed his team is considering teaming up with the company.

Windsor said it made sense for USGPE to link up with a smaller engine producer like Cosworth, instead of brokering a deal with the likes of Mercedes or Ferrari.

“The engine decision is part of the whole rebirth that F1 is going through right now. The Cosworth engine is certainly an attractive proposition. It is homologated, those guys were doing a great job with Red Bull Racing when Red Bull suddenly switched to Renault,” he said.

USF1 (or USGPE as it is set to be known due a trademark issue) is keen on positioning itself as an All-American team, and is considering setting up a base in the racing hub of North Carolina in addition to a European home in Spain.

Windsor said the opportunity to partner an American-owned engine maker is another benefit of dealing with Cosworth.

“Cosworth is now owned by an American, Kevin Kalkhoven, and that is a nice little link for us as well. The idea of working with a small specialist company is kind of in-tune with the way we are operating as a race team as well,” he said.

After powering at least one team on the F1 grid for 39 years in a row, Cosworth bowed out of the sport in 2006 without much fanfare, signalling the end of an era.

Cosworth-powered machines are only second behind Ferrari on the all-time winners list, highlighting the British-founded company's success.

Many believed the role of a boutique engine producer was obsolete after the arrival of the 'manufacturer era' and giants such as BMW, Toyota, Renault, Honda and Mercedes locked in battle on F1 circuits.

But the global financial crisis has prompted many teams to downsize operations, giving hope that the likes of Cosworth may be able to resume its place among the world's motoring elite.