A spokesman has denied the wind is falling from the sails of the 2012 US grand prix.
The Texas official who approved the state funding for the Circuit of the Americas project is being sued, and the Austin City Council on Thursday delayed a vote on the receipt of the money.

Now, the local Austin American Statesman newspaper reports that construction efforts at the site of the formula one circuit have “slowed noticeably”.

And investor Bobby Epstein warned: “If things get delayed any more, job layoffs are a certainty and construction spending will stop.”

But project spokesman Jeff Hahn moved to play down those kinds of fears, explaining that the Circuit of the Americas is quieter at present simply because the excavation phase of the construction has wound down.

India’s new formula one circuit may also be used for a MotoGP race.

With a bespoke venue currently being built by the Jaypee Group near the capital New Delhi, India is set to host its inaugural grand prix next October.

And according to a report in the Times of India, Jaypee is currently in talks with the MotoGP organising body Dorna.

“Yes, we are in touch,” said Jaypee’s executive general manager Manu Bhaskar Gaur, hinting at a first MotoGP race in 2012.

The reason for the delay of inaugural races at Korea’s new formula one circuit has become clear.

Late August at the new venue was originally scheduled to host the Asian Festival of Speed, with Asian GT and junior single seaters on the bill.

That event has now been rescheduled for late September, with the stated reason for the delay being construction holdups “caused by bad weather”.

The grand prix organisers said the 5.62 kilometre circuit will now open officially on September 5, with the F1 race still scheduled for late October.

The September opening is the end of next week, but photographs doing the rounds in the Spanish press indicate that it might be an ambitious target.

A photograph published by the sports newspaper AS’s website purportedly depicts the circuit one week ago.

The track surface is not asphalted, nor delineated with barriers or fences and some structures are apparently only in the formative stages of construction.

As Silverstone’s new 17-year contract kicks off this weekend, Bernie Ecclestone said he is happy with the circuit.

The F1 chief executive has been a staunch critic of the ageing venue, and the sport would have moved away for 2010 had Donington’s plans not fallen through.

But on Friday, the F1 cars laid rubber for the first time on the new ‘Arena’ section, and next year the grid will form up between the Club and Abbey corners, where the skeleton of a new pit and paddock complex can already be seen.

“It’s not really like Silverstone at all, is it?” joked Ecclestone, who once described the modern British GP track as a country fair masquerading as a world event.

“They have done what I was asking them to do for years,” added the 79-year-old Briton. “All I wanted was for them to bring the place up to the standard we expect for a world class event and they are starting to get there.”

85,000 spectators were at Silverstone on Friday to see the practice sessions, which is more than most of F1′s new international venues can currently only dream of for race-day.

India is set to debut next year, bringing the calendar to 20 races amid rumours there might be up to 24 dates in the near future.

But Ecclestone said: “That (20) is enough, we won’t be going to 24 or anything like that.

“Maybe one or two European races will drop out. Probably the ones who complain that they can’t afford them. No race is sacrosanct,” he warned.