Jonathan Summerton is confident that the Cypher Group's plans to enter a United States-based team in Formula 1 can succeed where US F1's attempt failed.
The 22-year-old Florida native is a race winner in Formula 3 and A1GP, and finished runner-up in the 2009 Atlantic series. He has already committed to the Cypher project and believes the group has every chance of getting him onto the F1 grid next season.
Summerton was being lined up for one of the US F1 seats when the team collapsed, and when asked by AUTOSPORT why Cypher will be a success, he said, "Well, for a start they're a straight-up group who know what it takes. They've said from day one that they won't enter unless they have the funding to do it properly – and that, in my eyes, goes a long way. They are also a very serious and realistic group of people with World Championship experience.
"They're very structured as well, and this is one of the reasons they have maintained a low key – getting all the necessary things in place. I know the efforts they're going to and I'm with them all the way."
He would not confirm rumors that the Cypher Group includes former Brawn GP or US F1 employees, but revealed that the team does have Formula 1 experience in its ranks.
"All I will say is that Cypher Group is not about individuals, they work as a team," Summerton said. "There are no egos and they want to focus 100 percent on the effort of a U.S.-based team in Formula 1.
"Cypher functions more like a conventional F1 team already. Because they've done F1 before, they know what it takes and I'm learning from them everyday. It's a great experience to work with people who have so much determination and passion for the motorsport."