USF1 to Secure Second Base in Europe

Although USF1 team principal Ken Anderson confirmed earlier this month that his new team will most likely be based in North Carolina, it seems the former Ligier Technical Director Ken Anderson is also considering an alternative base in Europe. According to media reports from Spanish newspaper Diario Sport, the base could be located near Bilbao.

The decision is yet to be officially confirmed by either Anderson or part-owner Peter Windsor, but seems probable due to the fact that most races on the F1 calendar are located in Europe. Under the circumstances, operational costs could be significantly reduced if the team will have a second base closer to the F1 action.

According to the aforementioned source, it seems that talks have already been initiated by Anderson in order to secure a second base for USF1. The alleged base is currently used by Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi, whose owners are none others than former F1 stalwarts Joan Villadelprat and Sergio Rinland.

Villadelprat revealed that Anderson had contacted him recently but insisted no decision has been taken.

“It's all true, but right now there is nothing definite, only conversations. First we have to see what happens with the team. It was he who contacted me. 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,” said the Epsilon Euskadi co-owner, according to the same Diario Sport.

Securing an operational base in Spain would prove efficient from a number of reasons, the firt being the possibility of using Epsilon Euskadi's wind tunnel for the aerodynamic testing on the F1 car. In addition, Jerez and Barcelona are two of the most important testing venues in Formula 1, so that would really help USF1 cut testing costs to a minimum.

An official decision by the USF1 officials is yet to be announced on the matter.