It's been a long time coming, but the first team to design and build its own F1 car in the USA since the 60's, is finally beginning to show some of the potential we were promised over sixth months ago.

The USF1 team, backed in part by YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, have for the past fortnight been publishing short video clips detailing behind the scenes footage of an F1 project coming to life. This morning two further clips were published, and a third is expected soon.

Notably, all of the videos thus far have been filmed and released in high definition format, and considering how long fans have been requesting HD footage, USF1 should be congratulated for being the first team to make the leap. While it could be argued Toyota made a similar jump last year, their feature only amounted to a one-off production, and they've since quit the sport anyway.

If you haven't already watched the new videos, they're embedded below. Hitting Play followed by the HD button, will allow you to see them in all their 720p (if not somewhat interlaced) widescreen goodness.

Dan Gurney on USF1

The first clip appropriately features an interview with Dan Gurney. His Eagle chassis was the last F1 car to be designed and built in the States and here you'll catch him reminiscing as well as looking forward to what USF1 can offer.

Bob Varsha Walk and Talk - Part 1

The second video is slightly more concerning. It's part one of a two parter and Speed TV's Bob Varsha takes hold of the microphone before setting off to interview some members of staff. The team have rightly come in for some stick recently - from most quarters - for failing to prove they really are getting on with the business of building racing cars, and this video won't help matters. The factory appears almost completely deserted before Bob manages to find the world's most introverted American and a Brit to converse with. Formula 1 factories just don't look like this.

Bob Varsha Walk and Talk - Part 2

In the second part of Bob's walk around the factory we get to see a more active office. Of interest, discussion turns to the merits of CFD versus wind tunnel development, and the engineers at USF1 seem confident that computational fluid dynamics is more than good enough to develop a brand new F1 chassis.

Regardless of content, we should say well done to USF1 for at least pushing F1 broadcasting boundaries in the right direction, however small a step it might be. With any luck, other teams might be taking notes.