StefanGP making progress

While all is quiet with regard to USF1 and Campos Meta, one new team seems to be making solid progress despite the fact that they do not have entry into this year’s championship.

StefanGP has already announced that it has sent equipment to Bahrain in the hope that they will be allowed to race and plan to test later this month. Now the first Toyota-based S-01 chassis is complete and the second is scheduled for completion next week.

"We are still pushing to be in Portimao but we will see," team founder Zoran Stefanovic told 422race.com with regard to the forthcoming test. "There are still some important things to solve and that’s what we are looking to do. One of these is to finalise both cars, so that’s what we are looking at the moment."

Kazuki Nakajima is expected to handle the three day test which is pencilled in for 15th February, but the team is giving little away regarding driver negotiations.

"Many drivers are in the shortlist," Stefanovic admitted. "We’re not going to publish anything at the moment but I can say that at least one of them will be Japanese."

While the team hope to be on the grid in Bahrain, their participation currently depends on the failure of an existing team combined with approval from the FIA. Stefanovic says he remain in contact with FIA president Jean Todt and fully accepts that the final decision rests with the sport’s governing body.

"On our side the situation is very clear, to have 14 teams would be the best solution, but we are not pushing for this," he said. "We think that common sense will prevail."

Stefanovic meanwhile denied reports that former McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan has joined the team and clarified that while former Spyker team principal Colin Kolles is ’in contact’ with the team, he is not part of the team.