Formula one needs the US but Martin Whitmarsh has admitted he would have preferred a pair of races on the east and west coasts.
After Indianapolis hosted America’s most recent grand prix in 2007, the sport will return to the USA next June to race on a bespoke circuit in the capital of Texas.

But Austin is in the United States’ central south rather than on the eastern seaboard featuring New York, or the west close to Washington or California.

“America doesn’t need us, but we need to conquer it,” Whitmarsh, not only boss of McLaren but also the F1 teams alliance FOTA, said during a fan’s forum on Thursday at the British team’s Woking factory.

“Maybe we need to have two races a year and a proper marketing programme. We have to conquer America — that’s a five-year programme. We’ve got to be on the east coast and the west coast.

“It’s a big enough market and an important enough market to have two races and we should be over there.

“I have nothing against Texas and I hope it’s a very successful race, but the natural hinterland for us is the east coast and the west coast. Long Beach and around New York; those are the places where we’re going to create interest in F1,” added Whitmarsh.

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn agrees: “That (the east and west coast) is the commercial and business side.”

And Force India’s deputy team principal Bob Fernley added: “The west coast and the east coast are the natural homes for F1 in America.”

Along with Nicky Hayden in the last few days Ben Spies was the special guest of the Long Beach Motorcycle Show, a major American motorcycle shows. Present at the Yamaha booth where he received a welcome gift (a WR450F Supermoto made by former pilot, now a designer, Roland Sands), then the Superbike World Championship 2009 took part in a press conference where he expressed his positive for the 2011 season , his first official driver from Yamaha in MotoGP.

” Next year, I have no excuses: I have to win , “said Spies. “I have a season with assets of these bikes, tires, tracks, know the category and is the first time in the last 3 years that I have to change and start from scratch. I will run as a pilot officer and I have a whole business behind me, this I am very happy.

In the first test in Valencia I could touch the difference compared to 2010: is there a more methodical approach in development work, the bike is better in all aspects even though it is not very different from what I have driven this’ year.

For me the goal is to improve the results of last year, even if they are in a position to win, I have everything to succeed. The moment to remember the 2010? Surely Indianapolis, a great weekend to begin by the unexpected pole position . ”

The man to beat for next season? Jorge Lorenzo of course … ” And ‘the world champion and is now the strongest. There are 16-17 riders at the highest level, but he remains the benchmark, not only because it’s my new teammate. The relationship with him is good and I think we work well together, as had happened in the past (the reference is to Mat Mladin, ed) .

Chris Pook has confirmed he is involved with plans for a second formula one race in the United States.
Pook is a British businessman who championed the famous Long Beach street event for F1 before heading the Champ Car series.

It has been reported this week that, alongside Austin’s inaugural United States grand prix in 2012, Bernie Ecclestone is in talks for another race amid the New York skyline.

A recent proposal for a site in Jersey City was ruled out, but reports suggest another location in New Jersey is on the cards.

Pook, also involved with F1′s Watkins Glen race in the 70s and subsequent events in Detroit, Las Vegas and Dallas, confirmed that he is working on a New Jersey F1 project.

He said he could not give details, like the proposed site, because of a non-disclosure agreement.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone told the Austin newspaper American-Statesman: “There are no agreements (for a second race). We haven’t finalised anything.”

In the midst of reports that New York was Bernie Ecclestone’s favoured location, the sport announced late on Tuesday that Austin, Texas will in fact stage its first race in 2012.

The 10-year contract is for a “purpose-built” facility, F1 chief executive Ecclestone said in a statement, although details including an actual site, cost or race date were not released.

A report of the AP news agency said the venue would be built “within 10 miles” of Austin airport.

The promoter is Full Throttle Productions, headed by Tavo Hellmund, who Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs revealed has a “30 year relationship with Mr Ecclestone”.

“We have been diligently working together for several years to bring this great event to Austin, the State of Texas and back to the United States,” said Hellmund.

“We realise that over the last 30 years there have been one or two missing pieces from the previous editions of the formula one United States grand prix,” he added.

Never on a purpose-built circuit, previous US grands prix have been held at Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix.

Between 2000 and 2007, the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the event, and spokesman Fred Nation on Tuesday questioned whether the “business deal” between F1 and Austin is a sound one.

“Since 2007, we have been asked many times about having formula one return, and our answer has been the same each time: if the business deal is right, they are welcome back.

“If such a deal is in place in Austin, we wish both the city and formula one success for a race in the United States,” he said.
(GMM)