"Most of the Formula One teams airfreighted their equipment to the USA this week via Amsterdam's Schiphol airport," the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said.

It added Amsterdam had been chosen by the European-based teams because it had "a suitably large x-ray machine available to check all the pallets."

The FIA said world champions Ferrari sent their equipment from Milan's Malpensa airport "after a correspondingly rigorous examination."

Eddie Baker, the man who runs Bernie Ecclestone's digital television operations, confirmed to Reuters that all his equipment had also left Italy for the United States.

The race at Indianapolis on September 30 is the penultimate of the season and has been overshadowed by the attacks on New York and Washington last week.

Fears had been raised that tightened security, and logistical problems caused by the need to examine thoroughly all cargo heading to the United States, could jeopardise the race.

Local organizers, Ecclestone and the FIA have all said the race will proceed as scheduled, albeit under tightened security.

Visa problems
Minardi boss Paul Stoddart, who owns his own European Aviation airline, said his team's preparations for the race had been made more difficult by the additional security measures.

Stoddart said Minardi, who have Formula One's only Malaysian driver in Alex Yoong, intended to fly their own plane to America and visas were proving a major problem.

"Half our team hasn't got one," he told BBC radio. "That has given us our biggest headache."

Stoddart said he was confident the team would be at Indianapolis but "the degree of difficulty necessary to achieve the desired result is proving somewhat testing."

He also expressed concerns about what might happen while teams were over in America and about the following race in Japan two weeks' later.

"My real fear is that I am sure the freight is going to get to the States but I would think that the security coming out of the States is going to be even more comprehensive," he told BBC radio.

He said team owners had discussed Indianapolis at the last race in Monza and agreed that if America wanted them to go then "it was incredibly important that we show a united front and attend and put on a show."