John Anderson, racing legend, joins US F1 TeamKen Anderson and John Anderson
January 11, 2010 – Ken Anderson, US F1 Team principal, president and CEO, is pleased to announce that John Anderson, a legendary figure in American open-wheel racing, will be US F1's Team Manager, effective immediately.
"I've known John and been close with him for nearly 20 years - to be able to hire someone as experienced, as organized and as successful as he is will only enhance our team as we move forward," said Anderson. "He is simply the best at what he does and knows what it takes to be successful in motorsports."
Anderson, originally from Sydney, Australia, first came to the U.S. in 1980, after some success running a prep and fab shop. "I came to the U.S. for what I thought was a few years and I've never left, and I've had some good runs," he said. "Now to be able to have the opportunity to work with America's Formula One team, especially with my longtime friend Ken Anderson, is an unbelievable opportunity. Ken's mindset of US F1 – to have an open mind, be flexible and explore best practices, is why I'm here and I want to be a part of this."
Starting off in Can-Am in California, Anderson moved to open wheel, working for a veritable "who's who" of American racers and teams as a mechanic, team manager and race strategist, from California to Vermont to New Mexico to Indianapolis. He's worked for Bill Alsup, Gerry Forsyth, Barry Green, Dan Gurney, Mike Curb, Rick Galles, A.J. Foyt Jr., Kenny Bernstein, Bruce McCaw and more, racking up two open-wheel championships and two Indy 500 wins, among other successes.
Most recently, Anderson was the team manager for Gil de Ferran's American Le Mans Series (ALMS) organization. "The parallels with the ALMS car and an F1 car, with their complexity and performance envelope, are very similar," he said. "An F1 car is of course the pinnacle of construction and technology, and to be involved is a high point of my career."
The team manager role has been one that Anderson has been practising since the early 1980s. Not only will Anderson be coordinating the team in the U.S. and in Europe, acting as a liaison between the engineers and shop staff and spearheading testing, but he'll be an informal team psychologist. "It's about getting the right group of guys who can work, live and play together, and also understanding where everyone's strengths and weaknesses are," said Anderson. "Ken and Peter Windsor have put together a strong group, and I can only help to strengthen the bonds and be a part of America's resurgence in the top motorsport in the world."
Anderson is married to an understanding wife, Lesley, and is currently in the process of relocating from Indianapolis to Charlotte.
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