The Spanish team, owned by Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon, claimed the 2008 and 2013 GP2 championships, currently sits second in the standings with American Alexander Rossi, and is in the midst of a feasibility study to determine if an IndyCar program should complement its ongoing European open-wheel programs.

"We're looking into it, but it looks unlikely before 2017 if we're doing it on our own because of another project we're going after right now," Orleans-Borbon told to press. "Are we interested? Absolutely. We're not in a position to enter the series today, yet, because I don't have any drivers in GP2 or other series that are prepared to help make it happen. And I would be open to working with an IndyCar team that has one car and we could come together to put a second car in the series. That's where we are."

Orleans-Borbon and Ivan Cruz, who leads Racing Engineering's new projects, have been active in searching for IndyCar sponsors. They're also trying to identify drivers – in America and Europe – who would be interested in something new, or have found problems securing one of the few seats available in IndyCar.

"We've spoken to a lot of sponsors, but we're foreigners – we're across the pond, so it has been hard to get anything started," Orleans-Borbon said. "My friend Trevor Carlin has been very lucky because he has a wealthy driver who made America possible, but without him, I don't know if he would be there. If we can become an option for drivers who haven't found a place with the IndyCar team, and want to try something built more around them, that's what we would try to do."

Orleans-Borbon has been in contact with IndyCar CEO Mark Miles, and at least one engine manufacturer so far, and conversations with drivers are starting to build. Racing Engineering has shared Rossi (LEFT) with the Manor Marussia Formula 1 team this year, and of all the drivers he'd like to bring to IndyCar, Orleans-Borbon says the Californian needs to stay in Europe.

"I would love to have Alex for something like that, but I don't want to even entertain that thought because I want to see him in F1, because that's where he belongs," he continued. "I've been in this sport for 30 years and I've run a lot of guys – Sebastian Vettel and Justin Wilson – and you get a feel for the special ones when they come along. And Alex, from the first time we tested him, he was off the scale. He deserves to be in F1."

Wilson drove and won for Orleans-Borbon in 2002 during a season spent in World Series by Nissan and the two kept in contact when the Englishman moved to America. The idea for Racing Engineering to join the IndyCar Series came at some point during one of their conversations.

"It was something we had been discussing, and I have always been very passionate for Indy cars, so Justin was encouraging me to bring the team to America and it didn't take a lot of convincing by him to really start considering it," he said. "Even with what happened, my enthusiasm for us to race in IndyCar has not changed."