The four new teams to enter Formula One in 2010 – USF1, Campos, Virgin/Manor and Lotus – have all been subject to a degree of scepticism over time as to how ready they will be for the challenges of the sport when the new season arrives in March. Most famously, Ferrari derided the new entrants in a press release shortly after the 2010 entry list was announced, comparing the new-look grid to “Formula 3.”

The Scuderia have climbed down from their high (and prancing, obviously) horse since then, and in the intervening months the new teams have made progress towards their F1 goals by announcing sponsors, staff appointments and drivers.

All, that is, except for USF1. Of all the new teams, we have heard the least from Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor’s Charlotte-based enterprise, which aims to attract interest in F1 in an American market dominated by NASCAR. This has fuelled speculation about the team’s future, compounded by recent statements from Bernie Ecclestone suggesting that there were doubts over whether they would make it to Bahrain.

Campos have announced Bruno Senna and are locked in negotiations with Pedro de la Rosa. Virgin have declared Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi as their 2010 drivers. And Lotus have the most experienced line-up of all, with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen taking to the track in their cars. But on the FIA entry list, the USF1 cars are still occupied by the ominous name “TBA.” And apart from apparent interest in former GP2 driver Jose Maria Lopez, and Joe Saward’s suggestion that Ralf Schumacher’s recent contract offer could have come from USF1, there is no real indication that USF1 are any closer to signing any drivers.

However, the team’s sporting director Peter Windsor, a man of prodigous F1 experience, has finally broken the team’s silence to indicate that, surprise surprise, there is nothing to worry about and everything is on course. Windsor’s explanation – that the team have been focusing on rebuilding their factory and constructing their car, with nothing significant to report – seems convincing enough.

Windsor points out that the constant flirtation with the media of other new F1 outfits is not really necessary for any team, and that USF1 would much rather get on with the job quietly and come forth with their complete package when it is ready. In other words, “no news is good news.”

In the modern, media-driven world of F1, especially with the arrival of the Internet as a massive media force, we as fans expect almost up-to-the-minute updates on what is going on in the sport. We are all frustrated by the thought that behind the scenes, the inner gears and cogs of the sport are grinding away, and we as outsiders often have little idea of precisely what is happening.

USF1 have bucked the present trend of F1 teams, especially the new ones, in that they have been working in the background with no real cause to publicise their actions. But the argument that this means that they are somehow behind schedule makes little sense, and it would appear that the doubters will have some words to eat when March rolls around.