With less than two weeks to go until the start of the 2010 Formula One season, US F1 boss Ken Anderson has confirmed that the American team has ceased work on its car and is instead focusing on entering the sport in 2011.
"We have applied to the FIA to hold our entry until 2011. It was supposed to be confidential, so I could not really comment on it. It seems to have leaked out though," Anderson told the Autosport.com website, dpa reported.
"We are waiting for a reply from the FIA and are working with them. In the mean time, there is nothing for the employees to do, so we have told them to stop working on the current car until we have a decision."
US F1 are one of four new teams scheduled to race in 2010 but they have so far struggled to raise the necessary finance and are in no position to race.
As US F1 is now certain to miss out on the 2010 season, which starts March 14 with the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir, it remains unclear whether motorsport's ruling body will now offer a place on the starting grid to the Serbian outfit Stefan GP, or just leave 12 teams on the grid this season.