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"         Sometimes you just want to believe. At least that&amp;#039;s how we viewed the idea of an American team competing in Formula 1. On paper, the US F1 project had a lot going for it\u2014an F1 insider in the form of Peter Windsor, a world-class engineer with Ken Anderson and money from YouTube founder Chad Hurley.   And yet, having watched the machinations of F1 over the years, experience should have told us all that it was too good to be true. As of the start of the season, turns out it was. Of course, in hindsight, perhaps we should have approached the story with a bit more skepticism (in the words of Ronald Reagan, trust, but verify). Then again, the idea itself, dredging up memories of Dan Gurney at Spa, proved irresistible. We wanted to believe, so we didn&amp;#039;t question the feasibility of the timetables and the distances involved in fielding a team for this global series from a North American base.   Realistically, if , and couldn&amp;#039;t make it work from well-funded European-based operations, how could a U.S.-based start-up hope to fare any better?   The failure of US F1 to make the grid as well as the departure of the aforementioned manufacturers have unmasked Formula 1 for what it truly is\u2014a provincial, primarily U.K.-based global series that doesn&amp;#039;t much care for outsiders, which at times seems to barely tolerate , and Renault for the engines and exposure these marques bring to the series. While Frenchman Jean Todt, who is said to be a champion of US F1, now runs the FIA, the power, influence and actions of Brits Bernie Ecclestone and Todt&amp;#039;s predecessor Max Mosley basically stack the deck against anyone not based on their side of the Atlantic, or to a certain extent, their side of the English Channel. The fact that there is no U.S. event sends the not-so-subtle message that Americans need not apply.   And while the series is more than happy to take money from the Middle East and Asia to stage races there, don&amp;#039;t expect any teams from those regions to be fielded anytime soon. Still, the allure of these high-strung racing machines piloted by some of the best drivers in the world will continue to be irresistible to any one of us with an ounce of gasoline in our veins. A guy can dream, can&amp;#039;t he? Let&amp;#039;s hope that the rumors of US F1&amp;#039;s death are greatly exaggerated and that somehow,           Windsor, Anderson and Hurley can find a way to patch things up and make it to the grid in 2011. It would be a fitting way to commemorate another event a half-century ago when Phil Hill became the first American to win the world&amp;#039;s driving title.   Speaking of Phil, we recently received copies of a new book, Phil Hill, A Driving Life, which is a collection of articles he wrote for us over the years. While much of the book focuses on cars he drove, from an 1886 Benz replica through a 2000 NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo stocker, even more compelling are the stories of the people, from Juan Manuel Fangio to Dan Gurney, which are a true reflection of Phil&amp;#039;s talent and humanity. The book, published by David Bull, is richly illustrated with photography by our John Lamm and benefits from the keen eye of designer Chuck Queener, another R&amp;amp;amp;T alumnus. It&amp;#039;s certainly a volume that will be much treasured by enthusiasts everywhere. Copies, signed by Lamm, are available at . "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a15710/lessons-from-us-f1/>