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 – Will you continue on with your motorsports journalism and TV broadcasting? Now you’re a pit reporter for America’s SPEED TV, the moderator for all the F1 media conferences, and do other F1 reporting on and off site. Throughout this season, do you expect the other F1 team owners or principles will talk with you, knowing that you are starting your own team?
A – Yes. I can’t imagine it will be a problem. We’re part of the race family like everyone else. I’m lucky to have a job in Formula One, whether I’m writing for a magazine or talking on behalf of some of the Formula One sponsors or fans on the weekends – which I do a lot of. Or whether I’m managing drivers which I’ve done a lot of over the years, or working with various teams and they’ve gone on to win World Championships. Or whether I’m doing a radio show from every race or whether I’m doing television or whether I’m putting together a new Formula One team which will be competing in Formula One. I don’t think it makes any difference at all. Any more than BUTCH HARMON that coaches PHIL MICKELSON or does a lot of commentary on SKY in England for the golf tournaments, or MARTIN BRUNDLE who managed DAVID COULTHARD for the last eleven years and does the commentary for BBC television.
There’s no difference. If people have an attitude towards me, that’s fine. Doesn’t worry me. And most people have an attitude anyway about everything in Formula One, so there’s nothing new there.
From my point of view, I’m going to do what I do and enjoy myself and do what I think is right. You know, SPEED TV thinks Wow, it’s great to have a guy who’s going to have a F1 team and we’ll get him as an announcer and it would be a really cool thing to know stuff inside there, I’d be happy to do it. If in the team it’s best that my job is making the coffee, and keeping the wheels polished, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll just do whatever needs to be done. That’s what I’ve always done all my life.
Q – So we can expect to see you all (2009) season doing SPEED TV?
A – Yes. Absolutely. Doing SPEED TV, Network Ten here in Australia (which did the 2009 AGP) F1 Racing Magazine, Autosport Magazine in Japan-the biggest racing magazine in Japan, HiltonRacing.com – they’re one of the big sponsors in F1, BBC Magazine, and quite a lot of other stuff.
Next year, I’ll continue to write and to present on TV, but not necessarily in the way I do at present. I believe that F1 is primarily about entertainment and that projecting the team onto the various media is no less important than the technical and/or sporting aspects of our involvement.
Q – When do you find time to sleep?
A – I never take holidays. My wife’s not very happy about it, but my life’s one big holiday and I love it, and I’ve been very lucky. When I grew up here in Australia, I can remember the day – absolutely like it was yesterday – when I’d been at the local race track, Warwick Farm, working as flag marshal at one of the big race meetings at age 13. I had to go to school Monday morning. I remember the day exactly as I was walking across this little bit of grass in the school ground about half past eight in the morning. I remember thinking, I never, ever wanted to be this depressed again in my life. I’ve got to get a job in motorsports. I’ve got to do it somehow, I don’t know how, but I’ve got to do it. And I remember thinking where I wanted to be and I was depressed. I wanted to be going to the next race. I didn’t want to be at school.
I grew up in Sydney. Warwick Farm was outside of Sydney, and built by GEOFF SYKES, built on the principle of Aintree in England, combining horse racing and motor racing. The tarmac actually crossed the horse track. They lifted up the tarmac for the horse racing. Obviously not racing at the same time.
I used to work in Syke’s club every holiday, doing whatever needed to be done. He was my mentor. I grew up in Australia during the days of the original Tasman Series, where all the F1 drivers race in the winter to Australia and New Zealand, between January and February. Eight great races, four in each country. And I went to the one at Warwick Farm in February for the International 100. So I grew up as a kid watching JIM CLARK, JACKIE STEWART, GRAHAM HILL, DENNY HULME, and PEDRO RODRIGUEZ, racing in their Formula One cars.