The prospective American Formula One team, USF1, has looked into setting up a European base in Spain, the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport reports.

While the cars are set to be designed and built in the heart of NASCAR country in Charlotte, North Carolina, it suggested that USF1 will need a European base for testing as well as the calendar's stretch of European races.

Indeed, backers of the project state that the new team has confirmed the plans to design and build the cars from a primary base in Charlotte while the team’s operational base could be located near Bilbao, Spain.

However, another proposed Spanish base belongs to the Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi, east of Bilbao, featuring a wind tunnel compliant with new FIA rules. Epsilon Euskadi is headed by the former F1 stalwarts Joan Villadelprat and Sergio Rinland.

"It's all true," Villadelprat said, "but right now there is nothing definite, only conversations. First we have to see what happens with the team."

Spaniard Villadelprat, who during his F1 career worked for Benetton, Ferrari, McLaren, Tyrrell, Benetton and Prost, said he has known USF1 Principal Ken Anderson for ‘many years’.


"It was he who contacted me," Villadelprat admitted. "They thought they must have a base in Europe and they considered that Spain, where teams test for most of the winter, would be the ideal place."

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International