Stoddart hopes to avoid politics

The Australian, who has just bought into Keith Wiggins' CTE Racing-HVM team, earned a reputation as F1's 'shop steward' when he openly spoke his mind and publicly confronted his enemies in the sport to keep his Minardi team afloat.

And after announcing the deal that sees his full return to the sport, Stoddart said he is hopeful that he will be able to focus more on the racing than on the politics in the future.

"I'm hoping that I won't have to do it in the way that I did in Formula One," said Stoddart. "I hope that I won't need to ever get as political and as boisterous as I needed to do there.

"I have a great relationship with [Champ Car boss] Kevin Kalkhoven as well, and that dates back a few years now.

"So I really do think that working with all of the guys is going to be a refreshing period as against some of the stress that was there in Formula One, particularly the last few years - and sure as hell continued without me."

Stoddart believes his experience in F1 - where he regularly battled with the governing body and the manufacturers, before eventually selling his team to Red Bull in 2005 - will put him in good stead for the challenges that lie ahead in Champ Car.

"You know, F1, they call it the Piranha Club; certainly it doesn't take prisoners," he explained. "There are comparisons that it is like a baptism of fire. They have all been used over the years.

"But it is a tough, no-holds-barred business, and it is business, unfortunately. Unfortunately the sport side really is somewhat overshadowed by the politics in the business, which is quite sad.

"But it does actually get one ready for just about anything else, and I think Keith (former Pacific boss) and I have both been through the mill at different times.

"We know what it's like to have to fight and for what we believe in, and yes, I'm sure that's part of what made us quick straightaway. But nevertheless, both of us have got our feet on the ground and we know that our challenge is to do a good job in 2007 in Champ Car and beyond.

"And the F1 background can be interesting, but we forget all of that when the lights go green in Vegas."

Stoddart has also suggested that he may not be the last F1 team boss to make the switch to Champ Car - after hinting that someone else is considering it.

When asked whether he could see other Grand Prix teams migrating to America, he said: "I think it's early days to say that.

"But what I would probably do is just turn that around a little bit and say that Champ Car is viewed as being very credible, very respectable and very well managed, so you could not discount that possibility.

"I think I'm the only one that's publicly said it but I know privately there's at least one other F1 team owner who is quietly thinking about it at this point in time."