The United States Grand Prix will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2012 after a deal was struck for a race to be held in Austin, Texas. The event will be held on a yet-to-be-constructed permanent road course.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/8387
Here's the link to the story on the F1 mothership site.
Well, this certainly came out of nowhere, didn't it? Hope construction starts today...
Posted by: ThatGuy | May 25, 2010 at 12:58 PM
I'm used to Bernie throwing curveballs to put people off the scent, but I wasn't expecting Texas - seriously looking forward to what they can come up with in terms of a circuit
Posted by: Leigh O'Gorman | May 25, 2010 at 01:03 PM
Glad it's not a street course, but it better not be another boring Tilke Track. Those are so dull. Hopefully they manage to construct a decent course.
Posted by: Dylan | May 25, 2010 at 01:09 PM
What the Jersey City 300 is off?? My homies were already practicing carjacking in foreign languages.
Posted by: Robert | May 25, 2010 at 01:11 PM
You can still do that in Austin Robert - you just have to apply for extra travel and hotel fees beforehand
Posted by: Leigh O'Gorman | May 25, 2010 at 01:31 PM
"No details have yet emerged about the track layout, or whereabouts in Austin the venue will be built." I will remain skeptical until those questions are answered. In fact, I'll believe it when an actual lap is turned by an actual F-1 car.
Posted by: Gurney Eagle | May 25, 2010 at 02:34 PM
who got blown to get that deal done?
Posted by: Tom M. | May 25, 2010 at 03:11 PM
me, too
Posted by: Brian McKay | May 25, 2010 at 03:13 PM
Guess Bernie doesn't remember the 110 degree (& 130-40 degree tract temps) Dallas GP, eh?? $$$ talks???
I need to read more on this... but I'm not buying it. Smells kinda like the USF1 deal & Bernie green-lighted BOTH of these deals
Posted by: AZZO45 | May 25, 2010 at 03:32 PM
However, Austin is by far the coolest city in Texas!! Great music, Great food!!! :) :)
Posted by: AZZO45 | May 25, 2010 at 03:33 PM
Why not a street course? Those things are the future of motor racing!!!
Posted by: Champ Car Dork | May 25, 2010 at 04:28 PM
I just hope it's a GORGEOUS FACILITY, which is what truly matters.
Posted by: pressdog | May 25, 2010 at 04:30 PM
This will be paired with the Canadian GP in early June or perhaps they will both be moved to September. Quite the shocker!
Posted by: F1 Prospects | May 25, 2010 at 06:36 PM
Not a shocker that it would be a combo w/ Canada. Big $$$ to fly the F1 Circus over to N/A twice
A September date would help the temps stay below 100.
Posted by: AZZO45 | May 25, 2010 at 07:07 PM
I'm excited about this (even though I'm in the Indy area) - I'm ready to go! Two thoughts come to mind:
1. I hope it's not a Tilke track.
2. I see an opportunity for the IICS. This could be a great venue for American open wheel. F1 brings about 4 or 5 other series along with them to Grands Prix, so why not make the entire IRL ladder system (including the IICS) the opening act for the F1 race? It would be great international exposure. I just see this as a really great marketing opportunity for Randy Bernard...
Posted by: Travis R | May 25, 2010 at 08:56 PM
You think ANYONE in Austin Texas is going to give a rip about F1 racing in the middle of football season?
If this thing sees year 3, I'll be shocked.
Posted by: Jim Bob | May 25, 2010 at 09:17 PM
"I see an opportunity for the IICS."
NO. NO. And HELL NO.
Indy Cars already race in Texas. Its their 2nd most well-attended event. The main guy at Texas is on the Iconic Committee. Texas Speedway has been LOYAL to Indy Cars when many others have not been and when it wasn't "cool" to back the IRL.
Plus, we already have enough road and street venues stinking up the schedule.
And we don't need anymore of our drivers slumming around with the F1 set then they already do. Most of these guys and gals already dream about F1 and are only in Indy Cars because they have no other options. If they want to go see the F1 race, let em go on their own time. Not because Indy Cars want to play 6th fiddle to Bernie's traveling circus.
Posted by: Jim Bob | May 25, 2010 at 09:21 PM
I live in Austin and the first time I ever heard word one about this deal was when I read Pressdog today.
I watched the local news tonight. It was the second story, following some vandalism involving super-glue at Bowie High School.
They didn't seem to have any further details. Talk about out of the blue.
And although it doesn't rain much it is very hot and humid in the summers here.
Posted by: redd | May 25, 2010 at 09:21 PM
This is out of the blue. It seems a little odd to hold an F1 event in a city with virtually no nonstop international flights and precious few nonstop US flights. Austin also doesn't have any auto racing culture. Getting people to the track may require painting an F1 car burnt orange and sticking the Longhorn logo on it.
I hope the race is in June, not September. In terms of the weather, early-mid June has less of a chance of being in the 100s than early-mid September. If the race is in September they will need to hold it on a non-football weekend. 90,000+ Longhorn fans suck up the hotel rooms. I'm also not sure how many people in Texas would go to an F1 race over staying home and watching the Cowboys or Texans games on Sunday.
We'll see what actually happens. Hopefully the race will occur and locals will introduce all the visitors the bliss that is breakfast tacos, Mexican martinis and kayaking on Lady Bird Lake.
Posted by: Kinestex | May 25, 2010 at 10:51 PM
Relax everybody! The track will be ready. In fact Pete Windsor and Ken Anderson are leading the construction effort. I hear it will be "supah"!
Posted by: Tom G. | May 26, 2010 at 09:40 AM
They are going to design in on their supah computah!
Posted by: pressdog | May 26, 2010 at 09:55 AM
I hear the track layout resembles the outline of a toaster.
This stinks to high heaven. Until some billionaire steps forward and admits to loving F1 so much he's willing to piss away half his life savings just to bring the circus to Texas I'm not buying it.
Building a track from scratch and securing the rights from FOM for 10 years has got to be a half billion dollar commitment. Operating expenses for the facility would likely consume any ticket revenue and concessions gross so any kind of ROI on the facility and license fee is never gonna happen.
Posted by: gary p | May 26, 2010 at 11:41 AM
on the news they're telling everyone that the F1 track would bring over 200 million into the local economy ever year. they actually said it's just like hosting the SuperBowl only "every year."
Posted by: redd | May 26, 2010 at 01:28 PM
"on the news they're telling everyone that the F1 track would bring over 200 million into the local economy ever year. they actually said it's just like hosting the SuperBowl only "every year.""
$200 million... hmm, I doubt that. However, one of the reasons the Canadian race is back on is because the event brings around $70-80 million (Canadian) to the city of Montreal on a yearly basis.
Whether that could be replicated in the US though...
Posted by: Leigh O'Gorman | May 26, 2010 at 01:44 PM
Great idea, but not enough time to do it all.
I read that Tilke has already been selected to "compromise" the design.
Where is the 200-300 million dollar construction money coming from? This has all the earmarks of the sad effort by Simon Gillette to take F1 away from Silverstone. Bernie leaves no profit to developers, so who and why would anyone "invest"?
Show me the money, and MAYBE I'll believe!
Posted by: GeorgeK | May 26, 2010 at 08:03 PM
The promoter has NOT even bought land yet!!! This has USF1 Part II written all over it... :( :(
Posted by: AZZO45 | May 27, 2010 at 11:53 AM
Great! How wonderful write-up! Some impression:For those who add some pictures, it could be easiler to comply with!
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