MARCH 12, 2008

Stoddart arrives, guns blazing (as ever)

Paul Stoddart, formerly the team boss of the Minardi F1 team, is in Melbourne this week to work as a radio commentator and says he would like to get back into F1, but only if there are some changes at the FIA.

Paul Stoddart, formerly the team boss of the Minardi F1 team, is in Melbourne this week to work as a radio commentator and says he would like to get back into F1, but only if there are some changes at the FIA. The ever-controversial Australia, who clashed with the FIA on several occasions in the past (but allied with the federation on other occasions) said that he would probably not come back if Max Mosley was still FIA President.

Stoddart says that he looked at buying Super Aguri.

"If a team were to come onto the market at a sensible price that I felt I could do something with, then I would be interested," he said. "There is a monumental difference between starting a new team and taking an existing one - all kinds of financial differences. So if you ask me if I would be interested in starting a new team? Not until Mosley has gone. Would I be interested in buying an existing team? If the right opportunity came along I would definitely be interested."

For the last couple of years Stoddart has been running a team in America but with the demise of Champ Car the aviation baron is looking at other options. The Champ Car teams are struggling at the moment with Walker Racing announcing a couple of days ago that it swill not be making the switch. This followed the announcement that Forsythe Championship Racing was closing its doors.

Australia's Kevin Kalkhoven has also just announced his plans. The former Champ Car shareholder has turned PKV Racing into a new company called KV Racing Technology. He and partner Jimmy Vasser say that they are going to run two cars in the 2008 Indy Racing League, with the support of former Walker sponsor Aussie Vineyards Team Australia. This will allow Will Power to join teammate Oriol Servia.