Hill Denies Involvement with American F1 Team

Plans to introduce an all-American team into Formula One next season are premature to say the least and Phil Hill is not involved in the project, according to the former World Champion.

75-year old Hill, the first American Formula One champion in 1961, was named alongside fellow American Dan Gurney - teammates at Ferrari in 1959 - in a statement released at the United States Grand Prix, in which Gurney presented a project to introduce an all-US team into the sport next season.

But Hill has said that he only knew of the project minutes before a news release was issued at the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis and added that he is not actually part of the venture.

"It's very premature," Hill said of the team's aim to compete in 2003. "I can't even use the word premature. I hadn't heard a word about it until the story broke. I just don't have anything to do with it at the moment. I give Dan every good wish I can."

Gurney claimed that by the middle of October he would know whether the team will compete next year and said that there was a commitment from Ford to provide Cosworth engines to the new team. He also said that the priority was to get two American drivers into Formula One with the team.