Organisers of the grand prix in Melbourne are reportedly considering sharing the city’s formula one rights with another Australian state.
Under financial strain, Germany alternates the annual hosting rights between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, and Spain is set to begin a similar scheme for the struggling Barcelona and Valencia organisers.

Under pressure to ease the burden on Victoria’s state taxpayers, organisers of the annual Albert Park race are considering something along those lines, the local Herald Sun reports.

Citing “high placed sources”, the Melbourne newspaper said Sydney or Perth could be the alternate race hosts.

Perth is the capital of Western Australia, and premier Colin Barnett said: “(The) grand prix is a great event, but WA will not be bidding for it.”

A spokesman for Victorian premier Ted Baillieu, however, did not rule it out.

“We’ve got the race until 2015 in its current form,” he said. “Negotiations beyond that will focus on value for money for the Victorian economy.”

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker, however, described the idea as “a formula for disaster”.

“All of our major events are hard won and we are not about to share ours with another Australian city,” he said.

The rumours are already swirling in the Melbourne paddock.

“I think to move it interstate would cause more headaches than it’s probably worth,” said Australian driver Mark Webber.

“It’s been so successful in Melbourne for so long now. (But) you never say never, nothing is forever.”

Even amid the latest speed-bump, organisers insist they are still on schedule to host Austin’s inaugural US grand prix late this year.
Circuit of the Americas backer Bobby Epstein is being sued by race founder Tavo Hellmund, but he did not want to talk about it whilst giving the Culturemap Austin publication a tour of the construction site.

“I’m not going to do that,” he said.

What he was willing to do was insist that the circuit is pretty much “on schedule” for its mid November grand prix date.

“It’s not so much a question of whether the construction will be complete,” said Epstein. “It’s really a matter of deciding whether to add another shift of workers and get onto a 24 hour schedule.

“We’ll need to do that if we get a lot of rain. If it stays dry, we’ll be fine.”

In an official statement, Circuit of the Americas added: “Our focus remains positive.

“We are creating the most incredible entertainment and racing venue in the world, construction is on schedule and seat license and suite sales are very strong.”

 2012 US grand prix founder Tavo Hellmund is suing the Austin event’s backers.
The latest speed-bump in the Circuit of the Americas project is Hellmund’s lawsuit against Bobby Epstein and Red McCombs, claiming he would have made $500,000 per year as chairman for the next decade.

Hellmund also wants “access to the … books” and “declaration that he cannot be removed as a manager”, the lawsuit claims according to the local Austin American Statesman.

Hellmund did not immediately comment, while Epstein said the former promoter no longer works on the project.

“This is just a latest step in a pattern of behaviour,” said the Circuit of the Americas in a statement.

“Mr Hellmund uses negative press to try and create an advantage for himself at every turn.”

 450 workers are pushing to enable Austin’s new Circuit of the Americas to be ready for the US grand prix later this year.
After the Texas project’s earlier hiccups, the rooves and walls of the paddock and medical buildings, media centre and main grandstand are now taking shape.

Another recent setback, however, was 2 inches of rain in the last ten days.

“We’ve got a lot of dry weather we know is going to be coming, and are hoping to be gaining some time,” said a contractor spokesman.

He revealed that the first layer of track asphalt will be poured around April “so we can get other elements, the tire barriers (and) the FIA fence going on”, he told the local Austin American Statesman.

The report said construction is scheduled to be essentially completed two months before the November 18 race.

Construction has finally resumed after weeks of delays at the 2012 United States grand prix venue Circuit of the Americas.
There have been grave concerns about the health of the project recently, particularly as vertical construction of the actual circuit buildings and grandstands had still not begun just over a year before the inaugural race date.

But Max Chapman, the project’s construction manager, revealed on Tuesday that after weeks of almost no work at the site, “We just started back today”.

The Austin American Statesman newspaper said the work resumed after more than $100 million in construction contracts were authorised.

“That’s mechanical, electrical, concrete frame, all phases of the project,” confirmed Chapman. “It’s the last big piece.

“It (construction) was going great guns for a while. For the last couple of weeks, until we got our bookwork done, it was a trickle, and it slowed almost to a stop the last three or four days.”

He said the foundation of the main grandstand is due to be laid at the end of next week.

The first job will be trucking in new soil, with the laying of the crucial track asphalt not scheduled until after Christmas.

Organisers of the 2012 US grand prix are expected to receive permission to start constructing the pit and paddock buildings this week. It emerged earlier that although digging and tunnel work has begun at the Austin site, permission for actual building construction is yet to be granted for the Circuit of the Americas project. But a Travis County official told the Austin American Statesman that developers will imminently get permits “to work on the facility’s most complex buildings”. Track officials are also set to meet with the county. “I’m assuming this is a routine meeting with them. We’ve had the same types of meetings before,” said project attorney Richard Suttle. Next year’s inaugural US grand prix in Texas is provisionally scheduled to take place on June 17. “We hope to have the work done in time for all necessary inspection for having a race (in June), and right now we think we can,” added Suttle. “We’re under way. We’ve got a schedule, and we intend to stick to it.”

A dark cloud of uncertainty has gathered above preparations for the 2012 US grand prix in Austin. Shortly after it emerged that the Texas comptroller is being sued by a group of taxpayers over the Circuit of the Americas’ state support, the Austin City Council met on Thursday to vote on the release of the funding. But local news outlets KXAN, KVUE, YNN and the American Statesman report that the vote has been postponed for a week, by which time a new council member who is opposed to the F1 project may be able to cast the deciding vote. “We felt we had support going into this meeting,” said the F1 circuit’s president Steve Sexton. “We thought we would get the necessary approval today to move forward, but any support is welcomed and encouraged. “For a $300 million economic project, we would hope to gain support certainly next Wednesday and move on,” he added. The F1 project’s lawyer Richard Suttle admitted he is also nervous. “I can’t say it any more emphatically that we are now nervous from a daily basis. If you push it, it gives us great trepidation on this thing pulling off,” he said. Suttle added during the meeting that a delay is “a major concern”, while Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell said it could “kill the project”.

F1 team owner Red Bull looks set to pull the plug on its NASCAR project.
The failure of the project compared with the energy drink company’s meteoric success in formula one is being blamed for the decision.

Reports in the American media early this week say staff at the Red Bull Racing Sprint Cup team are being told the operation will close at the end of the season.

“We are not at liberty to comment on details while negotiations (with investors) are under way,” said the team.

NASCAR insiders say North Carolina based Red Bull Racing, headed technically by ex-F1 figure Gunther Steiner, has struggled since its debut in 2007.

A report in the Toronto Sun said it is “well known” that Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz has been “unhappy” with the NASCAR effort.

“They never really had the level of success (in NASCAR) that I’m sure they were hoping for,” said F1 marketing guru Zak Brown, according to USA Today.

“And on the flip side, you have enormous success around formula one. I’d probably say it’s a combination of both, and I’m not sure there was ever the same level of excitement and passion (for NASCAR).

“Dietrich is a winner, and he’s not going to go on forever if he doesn’t get the results,” added Just Marketing’s Brown.

He said it is likely Red Bull will chose instead to spend its North American dollars on title sponsoring next year’s US grand prix in Austin.

“Not that the US GP will ever be the size and magnitude of NASCAR,” admitted Brown, “but I’m sure they’re not going to just drop the NASCAR team and not fill the void in another sport or with a title sponsorship. The US is too big a market for them.”

The lead attorney for the US grand prix promoter has denied reports the Austin track will not be ready for its scheduled 2012 race debut.

An official document that emerged this week showed that the expected build time for the Austin circuit, with construction set to begin in December, is 24 months.

But lawyer Richard Suttle, representing race organiser Tavo Hellmund, said the project is still right on schedule.

Indeed, at a meeting of the City of Austin’s environmental board on Wednesday, the first approvals for the circuit’s plans were granted.

“This project is on track, it’s on schedule with the help from the city and the county that we’ve (received),” Suttle told local KVUE News.

“We’ve been able to stay on track and we’re definitely on schedule, if not ahead,” he added.

New information casts doubt upon whether organisers of the 2012 United States grand prix can prepare the Austin site in time for its inaugural race date.

Construction is set to begin in December, but an official document – obtained by the Austin Business Journal – shows that the expected build time for the bespoke circuit east of the Austin-Bergstrom international airport is 24 months.

According to the local KXAN Austin News, the news was confirmed by a spokesman for F1, who said the 24 month timeframe could include months of planning before the December start-date.

Earlier in 2010, Bernie Ecclestone warned that organiser Tavo Hellmund risked penalties if the inaugural race does not go ahead in 2012.

Jean Todt does not sound confident about formula one’s return to America.
A ten-year contract for a race at a purpose-built circuit in Austin, Texas, was signed recently with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

But some experts are sceptical the organisers can succeed where the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the last US GP venue, failed.

Ecclestone said last week the promoter risks penalties if the debut race is not delivered in 2012, and he is now being quoted as revealing he is in talks about a separate event in New York.

And while a guest of NASCAR at Daytona last weekend, FIA president Todt sounded less than optimistic about F1′s chances in America.

When specifically asked about Austin, the Frenchman told a Fox Sports reporter: “At the moment, it’s just a project. I don’t think something will happen next year.”

Todt said part of the reason for his US visit was to learn about NASCAR’s success in the US versus formula one.

“Of course, there are reasons why NASCAR is so big in America and why formula one has never really been able so far to do something out here while doing a lot in other countries around the world,” he added.

Organisers of a United States grand prix risk penalties if the race does not go ahead in 2012.

That is the warning of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who more than a month ago announced a 10-year contract for a race in Austin, Texas.

The contract, with promoter Tavo Hellmund’s company, involves the construction of a purpose-built circuit.

But given a lack of details so far, and the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s failure to make the US GP a success, some pundits are sceptical about Austin’s bid.

For example, the source of the bulk of the funding is a mystery, with Ecclestone revealing only to the Austin daily American-Statesman that the backers are from the US.

It has also been suggested that 2012 is an overly optimistic race debut date, but Briton Ecclestone insists it will take place then.

“That’s what the contract says,” he said.  “It might turn out to be expensive for Tavo.  We’ve got some penalty clauses, although I wouldn’t want to use them.”

Ecclestone said he is confident Hellmund’s project will succeed.

“Until he doesn’t (succeed), we won’t know,” said the 79-year-old.  “You might say I couldn’t run the 100 metres in seven seconds, but until I try, you don’t know.”

(GMM)

Jun.13 (GMM)  Sir Richard Branson would like to see a United States grand prix held in Las Vegas.

The British billionaire, sponsor of Virgin Racing, said he welcomes the news that an American race has been scheduled for Texas in 2012.

“The US market is extremely important,” the Virgin mogul told La Presse newspaper at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“We have a cell phone company here in Canada, our airline will fly to Toronto soon and we will invest in the Canadian investment community.

“But we must also go to the United States,” Branson insisted.  “I think the best places would be San Francisco, or the streets of Las Vegas.”

When told that F1 is planning to be in Texas in a couple of years, he answered: “Texas?  Yeah, ok, but I would still go to Vegas.

“Imagine the cars on the Strip,” he smiled.

A site for the 2012 United States grand prix has been selected.

It was earlier reported that although a promoter has won the rights to stage the race on a purpose-built track in Austin, Texas, the actual site for the venue is still being decided.

But a lawyer for promoter Full Throttle Productions is quoted by the local American-Statesman newspaper as revealing that land has been secured.

“We’re just not ready to disclose it (the actual location) yet,” said Richard Suttle.

Suttle also said regular F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke has been appointed.

But even with the new details, doubts about the project remain, including insider sentiment that it resembles past negotiating moves deployed by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Until the shock news of the Austin deal emerged, Monticello Motor Club in New York was considered the front runner for a contract.

Club president Ari Straus said the 2012 start-date was the biggest surprise.

“Somebody starting from scratch would not be able to do it until 2013,” he said.

The implication could be that if Austin is unable to be ready for 2012, Monticello could be back in the frame for a project the following year.

“If Bernie comes back to the table,” Straus said, “Monticello is ready.”

But Austin promoter Tavo Hellmund, reportedly a friend of Ecclestone’s for decades, said he is not worried about the tight schedule for 2012.

“If it (the date) slides back, it slides back,” he said.

Although mainly funded privately, the project will also enjoy some state input, with a letter to Ecclestone signed by Texas governor Rick Perry pledging $25 million per year from the state’s Mayor Event Trust Fund.

(GMM)

The reaction has been mixed since F1 announced it is heading to Austin, Texas, for 10 consecutive United States grands prix beginning in 2012.

Britain’s Sun newspaper quoted Williams chief executive Adam Parr as saying: “We are a global sport and not having a race in America has been a big hole in the calendar. Our partners will be thrilled.”

But the announcement was short on detail, including where in the Texan capital the venue will be built, and why Austin can succeed where the likes of Donington failed.

McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale said in a teleconference on Wednesday: “I’d say it is fantastic news if it turns out to be true and if we can make it happen.”

One sceptic is Kevin Eason, correspondent for London’s The Times.

“This is one old formula one dog who was once bitten by Donington and is twice shy.”

And a blogger at former US GP host city Indianapolis’ Indy Star newspaper read: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The German news agency SID said the news had triggered “joy and doubt”.

Even the major Austin daily American-Statesman found the surprise news, which came hot on the heels of claims New York was closing on a deal, hard to swallow.

“Monte Carlo. Istanbul. Barcelona. Montreal. Austin? Maybe,” read a report.

The report added that “significant details” are yet to come, including the cost, the source of the funding, “and why would an Austin project succeed where others haven’t?”

The fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted F1 between 2000 and 2007, and spokesman Fred Nation said: “Some years we had the largest crowds of the year for formula one.

“From a spectator point of view, it was a success. At the end of the day, we could not make a business deal that made sense to us.”

The promoter of Austin’s F1 race is Tavo Hellmund, whose company Full Throttle Productions is largely unknown outside of Austin, and he admitted that land has not been bought but three sites are being considered.

A local race venue owner thinks Hellmund’s task is a huge one.

“I can tell you this facility cost about $250 million,” said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, referring to the venue used for NASCAR races.

“(An F1 track) would exceed that,” he added.