United States base for Haas F1 team is crazy says Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya

according to Juan Pablo Montoya, Gene Haas is crazy to base his new Formula 1 team in the United States. Montoya is an ex Formula 1 driver, and race winner who subsequently set up a career in NASCAR, the top stock-car series where Haas already co-owns a team.
Haas revealed this week that ‘Haas Formula’, his new Formula 1 entry, will be primarily based at the NASCAR team’s headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
“What we’re going to do is take a portion of that building, and that will be the Formula 1 headquarters right here in Kannapolis,” he said.
Haas admitted that the team will then probably have a ‘satellite’ operation in Europe.
“Well, we have an office in Brussels and that facility is available,” he said, “but I don’t know if it logistically makes any sense.
“Ideally, going forward, the main office for Formula 1 would be here in Kannapolis, and maybe a smaller office somewhere in either Germany or Italy for assembly and disassembly of cars.”
Colombian Montoya admitted that he was surprised to hear about Haas’ plans.
“If he wants to set up a team here in the United States, I think that’s crazy,” the former Williams and McLaren driver said.
“You can’t even say it’s crazy because it makes no sense,” Montoya is quoted by Le Figaro. “It is impossible to get people in England to move to Charlotte,” he added. (GMM)