IRL star Dixon targets F1 ride

The 23-year-old Ganassi Racing driver, who has won races in both Champ Cars and the IRL and is currently heavily involved in a five-way title scrap for this year's IndyCar crown, told autosport.com that he has set his sights firmly on reaching F1.

"Definitely," he said. "Everybody from New Zealand is more European. We sort of took the US racing avenue because we got a good deal and we had no money. Watching the cars out on the circuit and having a look around. F1 is pretty awesome."

This was Dixon's third visit to an F1 paddock, but his first in Europe, and the Kiwi along with his manager Stefan Johansson, was keen to establish contacts during his trip. Realistically though he is looking at what opportunities are available for 2005: "We've talked to probably everybody!

"We'll see what happens. It's nothing we're planning right now, it's probably a year down the road. We're just sounding people out - nothing's concrete.

"We just came over to check it out. There are probably a lot of opportunities coming up in the future over here. In the US at the moment the series are up and down. So we're sort of having a look at the moment."

"You've always got a chance of doing something. Hopefully I can have a bit of luck and the right guidance, and anything's possible."