IndyCar owner Keith Wiggins comments on USF1 team

HVM Racing Team Owner Keith Wiggins Comments about New Formula Team, USF1

Indianapolis, Ind. (February 25, 2009) - A new United States-based Formula One Team was announced yesterday in Charlotte, N.C. The new team, USF1, will be the only Formula One entry based in the United States.

Keith Wiggins, the owner of HVM Racing in the IndyCar Series, is the former owner and principal of Pacific Racing and Pacific Grand Prix. Wiggins led Pacific Racing through and won every rank of European open-wheel racing to Formula One. Wiggins, along with Roger Penske, is the only owner in the IndyCar paddock to have owned and operated a Formula One operation.

HVM Racing Team Owner Keith Wiggins comments on new Formula One operation:

"It's very difficult to start a new Formula One team, but there are a lot of factors that determine how hard it is going to be. There are questions that need to be answered. Where will the team get its chassis? Who will provide the engine? These are the biggest aspects to accomplish along with location and personnel.

"It's doable, but you have to have the budget. You need good and experienced people and proper planning for everything to work, especially if it is to be based here. The proposed budget for this team is good, but it's a smaller budget. You may not run at the front, but it really depends on a lot of factors that we don't know yet.

"There are a lot of logistical issues of being based in the United States. You have freight, and that may be a big obstacle. How are they going to handle this with FOCA? It's certainly more expensive to race out of the United States in Formula One. I think it's important, too, to think about your drivers. It's ideal to have one driver who is more familiar with the cars and the tracks. A.J. Allmendinger may be the best American driver with the most potential to fill one of the spots. It's going to be interesting to see how this pans out."

-credit: hvm