Haas gets nod to start F1 team

lag vegas — Formula One could have an American constructor on the starting grid next year after the governing FIA approved an entry for Nascar team owner Gene Haas on Friday.

The International Automobile Federation said it was also considering another application made by former F1 team principal Colin Kolles. “In close consultation with the CRH (commercial rights holder), the FIA has accepted the candidature of Haas Formula LLC and are in the process of conducting further investigations for Forza Rossa,” the FIA said in a statement. No further details were given but an FIA spokesman confirmed that former Jordan, Midland, Spyker, Force India and HRT principal Kolles was behind Forza Rossa with Romanian partners.

“Obviously, we’re extremely pleased to have been granted a Formula One license by the FIA,” Haas said in a separate statement. “It’s an exciting time for me, Haas Automation and anyone who wanted to see an American team return to Formula One. “Now, the really hard work begins. It’s a challenge we embrace as we work to put cars on the grid.”The FIA also announced after a meeting of its world motor sports council in Marrakech, Morocco that there would be a meeting of all the teams on May 1 to “clarify the means to achieve a substantial F1 team cost reduction”.

FIA president Jean Todt told reporters at the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend that plans to impose a cost cap in 2015 had been abandoned and measures would have to come through regulation changes instead.

The governing body said a study into the noise of the new V6 turbo hybrid engines, which critics and fans have said is not loud enough, was underway with preliminary results expected shortly. The FIA did not say when the proposed new teams were planning on entering. Last December, the FIA called for expressions of interest from potential new entries wanting to compete from 2015 or 2016, and set a January deadline. —