Plans to launch a new American Formula One team are gathering momentum.
Prospective team say they want to 'take the United States to Formula One'
Plans to launch a new American Formula One team are gathering momentum, with a high-level source involved in the project revealing they will be based in North Carolina.
It was reported earlier this month that Peter Windsor, a F1 journalist who has also worked for Williams and Ferrari, and Ken Anderson, Ligier's former technical director, are planning to start a team called USF1.
FIA president Max Mosley has given his support, while F1 commercial rights controller Bernie Ecclestone is also believed to have sanctioned the idea.
A source close to the project has now told
ITV that, rather than base themselves in Europe, they plan instead to remain Stateside.
It is hoped that by doing so, USF1 can draw on expertise available in American road racing and also help to keep costs down.
"Unit costs are lower, land is cheaper, it's easier to get things done (in the USA)," the source explained.
"And in this new era that F1 is approaching which the FIA are very adamant about, one of the obvious cost reduction systems is to outsource as much of the car as possible.
"Within the infrastructure of the cluttered European F1 bases, it is very difficult to outsource as much as a team would want to because it's so competitive out there, and it doesn't actually save you a lot of money anyway, because there are so many teams there that the outside suppliers charge a premium.
"Whereas in America, if you're the only F1 team on the block, it's a slightly different deal."
Unfazed
The United States is, however, currently without a grand prix - the Indianapolis round of the World Championship last being held in 2007.
Nevertheless, despite there being little sign of F1 heading back to the States anytime soon, the source said they are unfazed about not having a home race.
"Of all the countries and all the continents out there that need to globalise very quickly, America is the pre-eminent one - and Formula One does a better job of globalising brands than just about any other medium," he continued.
"We all know that F1 hasn't sold itself as well as it should in the US, but that doesn't really concern this operation.
"What this operation is about is taking the United States to Formula One, rather than taking Formula One to the United States - so it's a completely different philosophy.
"We're not trying to convince 25 million NASCAR fans that Formula One is the way to go; we're saying to a lot of Americans who love Formula One that they can be a part of Formula One as well, and there's no reason why we shouldn't have an American team out there doing well."
The new team will reportedly be launched in either late February or early March.
