Austin given one week to save 2012 USGP

The photo above showing building progress at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, was taken one week ago. Since then work has been suspended and race organisers now have just one week to save the future of the 2012 United States Grand Prix.

There’s been talk that Austin organisers would need to have their house in order by 7 December when the FIA’s World Motor Sports Council will meet to ratify the 2012 F1 calendar. Speaking to Reuters Bernie Ecclesetone said, “It needs to be before that. We don’t need any deadlines, having to thrash around at the last minute to do something. It’s gone on long enough.

“They (the Texas circuit owners) have got next week anyway. We are going to be in Brazil so they can come back next week.”

Ecclestone was equally forthright when asked if his recent words were part of normal ongoing negotiations, “What do you want me to do, wait until next year? To put all our cars on it, run around the circuit and everything and come back with no money? The teams want paying.

“It’s not brinkmanship, it never has been with me. I’ve been trying to do a deal now with these people for 18 months or more…if they had the money, I’m sure there would be no problem.”

So, it seems increasingly unlikely that Austin will host a race next year. Steve Sexton, Circuit of the Americas President, is desperately hanging on to hope for a 2013 debut.

“We have been excited for and working towards a 2012 USGP race and now understand that Mr Ecclestone is interested in moving the Austin race to 2013,” Sexton said in a press release.

“We know the US market is important to the teams and their sponsors and 2013 certainly allows time for the Circuit of the Americas to be ready.”

One of the more eagerly anticipated new races in F1 has fast ended up toxic quicksand. The actions of Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, have certainly added to the fiasco, as articles on adamcooperf1 and The Statesman show.

The marriage between Formula One and the United States has remained uneasy since the tyre debacle that marred the 2005 USGP. Perhaps with the expectation that the New Jersey race will go smoothly in 2013 Ecclestone can be a bit flippant in his attitude towards Austin.

“Since we’ve been talking to the people in Austin we’ve done two or three deals with different countries. I don’t know what the problem is for America really,” he said.

[Source: Reuters UK]