Top Six worse American Constructors and Engine builders that enter Formula 1

Andretti Autosport IndyCar team (5/1/23) confirmed last week their intention to enter Formula One as the eleventh team in conjunction with General Motors brand Cadillac. Although, unless a deal between the ten teams, FIA and Liberity Media can happen it won't happen at all. So this post is the Top Six worse American Constructors and Engine builders that enter Formula 1 that came from the USA (excluding Haas or Dorilton Capital owned Williams).

Starting with Number 6:

Number 6: 1974-76 Team Penske
Story: Team Penske entered the Formula One from 1970 (using McLaren chassis for a few Grand Prixs), 1974 till 1976. Although the cars were built at the British base, the team held an American licence. Team Penske enter F1 for the final two Grand Prixs of 1974 with two more full seasons. Their best season came in 1976 with John Watson winning the Austrian Grand Prix, so far this has been the last time an American constructor won an F1 race. Giving the team to finish fifth in the Constructors' Standings with 20 points in 1976. Still, at the end of the year, Roger Penske decided to withdraw from the sport to concentrate solely on Indycar racing instead.

Number 5: 1986-87 Ford (turbo era)
Story: Ford and Cosworth during the turbo era never produce a turbo engine focusing on developing the DFV V8 engine instead. Until late 1983 when Ford lost their top four teams to BMW (Brabham), Renault (Lotus), Tag Porsche (McLaren), and Honda (Williams) to turbo power. By the 1984 British Grand Prix, Ford and Cosworth anounced they will build a turbo engine for 1986 F1 season. Cosworth designed an inline four-cylinder turbo engine based on an engine block from the Ford Escort. However, that was abandoned due to the crankshaft breaking multiple times during testing, resulted the engine was a V6 turbo engine instead named the Cosworth GBA.

Ford awarded the engine exclusively to Haas Lola for 1986 finishing eighth in the Constructors' Standings with 6 points, when the team folded at the end of the year. Benetton got the exclusive deal for 1987. By the end 1987, with the turbo engines would be outlawed for 1989, Ford discontinued the GBA program altogether for 1988 focusing on a new V8 engine instead. The engine best results came in 1987 when Benetton got two third place finishes and the team finish fifth in the Constructors' Standings with 28 points in 1987. Ending Ford and Cosworth experimenting in turbo engines.

Number 4: 1985-86 Haas Lola
Story: The team founded by Carl Haas in 1984 after an agreement with Beatrice Foods, a US consumer products conglomerate, which competed in Formula 1 by the middle of the 1985 season with 1980 F1 champion Alan Jones as one of their drivers and Lola developing the cars. With the exclusive right to use Ford new turbo engine for 1986 as three year deal everything looking good for 1986. Until, the team main sponsor Beatrice Foods withdrawn surport during 1986, resulting the sponsors leaving the team at the end of 1986. Resulting the team ending at the end of 1986 with Ford moving to Benetton for 1987, Alan Jones retiring and Lola switching over to Larrousse for 1987. Carl Haas focusing on his Indycar team instead.

Number 3: 1989-93 Chrysler (via Lamborghini)
Story: Chrysler bought Lamborghini in 1987, with Chrysler developing a V12 engine for F1, Chrysler rebadge the engines as Lamborghini for 1989. However, results never materialise, with best result of third place for Aguri Suzuki at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix with Larrousse. Never having a top team despite testing with McLaren during 1993. Resulting Chrysler leaving Formula 1 at the end of the 1993 season and Chrysler selling Lamborghini in 1994 with either brands never entering in Formula 1 again.

Number 2: 2010 USF1 Team
Story: US F1 Team founded by Peter Windsor and former Ligier technical director Ken Anderson and investment from Chad Hurley (co-founder of YouTube), with their factory located in Charlotte, North Carolina marked as an all-American team to enter for the 2010 season. However, the team stopped work on its car due to financial problems and poor organising from both founders. The team never entered into Formula 1 as a team, by mid-2010 the FIA World Motor Sport Council conducted a disciplinary hearing into USF1's failure to compete in the 2010 season. The team was fined and banned from competing in any FIA-sanctioned championship.

Number 1: 2000-04 Ford (via Jaguar)
Story: Ford bought Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Around September 1999, Ford renamed the team as part of its global marketing operations to promote their Jaguar premium car company. Despite this branding, they continued to use full-works Ford Cosworth engines in the cars, no Jaguar engineering was involved and also served as Ford's official Formula One full-works team going into the 2000 season. By 2000, Ford thought Jaguar will fight with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, unfortunately through their five years owning the team, Ford wasn't challanging the big teams. But, the small teams likes Sauber and Jordan. Their best results was only seventh in the Constructors' Standings in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Ford chose to sell the operation near the end of 2004 despite a more consistent showing in its previous two years as Ford wanted to concentrate on World Rally Championship instead. In mid-November 2004, energy drink company Red Bull purchased the Jaguar Formula One team from Ford and renamed it as Red Bull Racing from 2005. Making this the worse American Constructors and Engine builders that enter Formula 1.

Although there are Strong rumours that Ford may return to Formula 1 by 2026, watch this space.