Before the start of the Australian Grand Prix, I had the privilege of having a lengthy one on one interview with PETER WINDSOR, who is co-owner of the new American Formula One team – Team US F1.
Q – Where is the shop?
A – It’s about ten minutes drive from SPEED TV’s High Def facility on Harris Boulevard in Charlotte, from Ken’s Windshear wind tunnel, and ten to fifteen minutes from the Douglas Charlotte Airport.
Q – Will you be allowed to use Windshear’s wind tunnel?
A – Yes, absolutely. As of 2010 there will be no limit on wind tunnel testing or what size you do it. It will come out of your operating budget which is your limitation as a race team. But no problem. And we will be using Windshear, quite obviously, because that was Ken Anderson’s first stake in the ground showing that American technology is equal to anything in Europe. And all those Formula One teams, all the great F1 teams over the years have tried to do their own wind tunnel and none of them are as good as the one Ken’s done. So that says how good the technology belt is now in that area.
Q – Will you – the team – becoming back to the shop after each race – except those which are back to back?
A – Yes, the car and the guys. The pit equipment would all go to a logical European base where the trucks and the motor home, etc. will be contained. But the boys and the car will come back to Charlotte; and that’s where we’ll be doing the rebuilding and development and everything that normally takes place at any Formula One factory. But all the stuff you need when you’re operating in the field – pit equipment, garage equipment and the vehicles such as motor home, will be in Europe.