Ecclestone casts doubt on Austin


Bernie Ecclestone admits that there is much to be done to get the USGP in Austin back on track for next season.







Bernie Ecclestone has urged the various parties attempting to pull together next season's United States Grand Prix to 'fall in love' after continued delays threaten to put the event in jeopardy.

Speaking from the paddock in Abu Dhabi, Ecclestone admitted that time was quickly running out for the Austin-based Circuit of the Americas to be completed in time to host its inaugural grand prix next October, and blamed a lack of communication between various sections of the development process for the delay in progressing beyond initial earthworks at the ambitious multi-facility site.

Tavo Hellmund's success in securing a contract to stage the first USGP since Indianapolis Motor Speedway bailed out at the end of 2007 was heralded as the start of a new era in American participation in F1, with a purpose-built road course replacing a series of street circuits and the hybrid layout at IMS that did little to boost F1's reputation in a country where it has struggled to gain widespread appreciation. Despite the Austin venue looking both dramatic and challenging on paper, however, construction has been painfully slow, putting the project into the same boat as Korea and India when it comes to causing rumours of cancellation.

Ecclestone, despite having a close personal relationship with Hellmund, did little to quell the speculation, apparently safe in the knowledge that he would have at least one US-based grand prix from 2013 after doing a deal for a street race in New Jersey.

"Austin? I wouldn't want to put my money down that that will happen," he shrugged when asked for an update by Reuters, "I hope it will and we are doing our best to make it happen, but I wouldn't want to say yes.

"What's happened is you've got a guy that owns the land and started building and there's the guy that owns the company and has got a contract with us. And they forgot to talk to each other. The truth of the matter is maybe the people that have put the money down are perhaps a bit pissed off that he's getting some publicity and they are not and are saying 'we've got our money on the line, you haven't got any money on the line. They are trying to get it together. I've said 'you guys have got to fall in love, get married'."

Intriguingly, Ecclestone's response may tie in with the news that Hellmund is no longer centrally involved with the Austin project, having moved on to investigate possible future F1 sites in Mexico, Argentina and Africa.

“It is now the responsibility of the Circuit of the Americas to make this project happen before Mr Ecclestone's patience runs out,” he is alleged to have said, “I don't plan to be a track operator. My mission has always been to put the whole deal together and get it going and then continue to broaden my horizons.”

Those behind the Austin project have countered Ecclestone's concerns by claiming that there is no basis to the claims.

“There is no question that, if he wants the USGP race to happen here in 2012, it certainly will,” a statement issued via the local Austin American Statesman newspaper stated, “Our funding is secured, and construction is on schedule, so we don't understand Mr Ecclestone's comments. He has expressed great interest in the Austin race and in expanding the F1 brand into the United States.”

The teams will continue to assume that the race in Texas will happen as scheduled next season, with FOTA chairman and McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh
admitting that it was important for the event to come off.

"America doesn't need F1, we need America," he pointed out, "I think we are excited about the prospect of going to the States, I'm sure Bernie is working very hard on the Texas race and the New Jersey race. It's in our program and we assume we are going there and I suspect that we will. I imagine, as is often the case, there's some posturing and negotiation but that's not our business. The calendar says we're going there and that's what we're planning on and looking forward to."

 

This may be Bernie's way of giving Tavo a little extra push. He did it with the Koreans last year and the Indians over the summer. I think there's more to it than just "you guys aren't moving dirt fast enough..." He's asking the organizers for something and they aren't saying yes. Yet.

That being said I'm still 100% going to a North-American Grand Prix next year. The one in Montreal.

 

It could be, but by the sound of it, Tavo is moving on to his next project (Africa? really? That hotbed of F1 fanatics? )

To twist Bernie's own words, it appears to me that he has fallen in love with a better looking woman (ie NY/NJ) and his old girlfriend, Austin, is expendable. I really can't see NA having 3 races.

 

That's Bernie for you. Does anyone remember the Silverstone debacle? Bernie kept saying "Silverstone has to improve or we will move to another track". That other track wasn't ready in time, and they were forced back to Silverstone.

 

Well, that's the thing about Bernie. He says something that on the face of it is intended to someone else. But I'm sure the right person got the message. He's a wily old fox and every word he says is meant for someone in particular.

I think 3 NA GPs would work if marketed properly. If anything I think Montreal might be the one in danger. But we won't know that for another couple of years.

 

^+1

 

I think Bernie is trolling for money. He had a wedding he had to pay for and he bought his kid the starter house in Beverly Hills.

 

Sounds like Bernie is trying to help his buddy Tavo out. Tavo owns just the agreement with Bernie to run the F1 race there. Sounds like the track owners are trying to go around him...

http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdet...medium=Twitter

 

It's the same bs every time a new track comes along, they just need to be realistic with the amount of time it takes to build, there is always delays in large construction projects.

 

I don't think it has anything to do with construction. Bernie himself was quoted as saying basically "I don't think they're struggling [with construction] at all" Remember, the were originally supposed to hold the race in the summer so that is the schedule they're working to.

It's all about $$$ and who gets it and how much. The gap is that the guy who owns the rights to the F1 race (and close personal friend of Bernie's) has no equity in the track itself. So the guys who own the track are trying to negotiate with Bernie directly to cut out the middle man. This isn't really working well right now...

It sounds like posturing for sure. The US is a HUGE market and F1 can't ignore that (not to mention all the people from Mexico and latin america that will attend). The USGP in Austin will be a huge event when it happens!

 

Ha!

Here is an older news story... apologies if an 'enzo'...
Check out the video bike tour of NJ street track venue.

BRING IT!!

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201..._1_race_r.html

Kim

 

Greed, hubris, and stupidity: CONSTRUCTION STOPS, FUNDING & APPLICATION WIHDRAWN:

http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdet...draws-support/

 

Damn it, I told them they needed to put this in the wrap of a University of Texas football practice facility that just happens to have an F1 track attached.

 

Hmm -- better go buy those studded mud tires.....

It even rained here today.

m

 

Terrible news... http://assets.circuitoftheamericas.c...11511_1400.pdf