If Paul Ricard gets the green light to host France’s F1 return in 2013, the circuit in Le Castellet could bring in more than 70,000 spectators.
That is the claim of the track’s director Stephane Clair, amid reports French prime minister Francois Fillon is poised to approve a deal to see the country alternate an annual spot on the F1 calendar with Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps.

Previously, a drawback of installing France’s race at Paul Ricard – officially called the High Tech Test Track – was the fact its current layout is not designed to host more than a few thousand VIPs.

But Clair insisted in a French-language AFP report: “It would be a great event to unify people with attractive prices thanks to funding provided by public and private partners.”

He said the project would include the addition of 50,000 temporary seats at Paul Ricard, with another 20-30,000 spectators able to watch from the hills “as in the past”.

He said Paul Ricard now needs the official go-ahead “before the end of the first 2012 quarter”, in order to comply with the requirements for planning, permits and environmental compliance.

 With Valencia already asking for a reduced race fee, the fate of Spain’s other formula one event has also fallen under a cloud.
The economics minister of the Catalonia region, Andreu Mas-Colell, told Rac1 radio that the situation for Barcelona’s Spanish grand prix is “the same as in Valencia”.

“In the present conditions we have to look line by line at how we are spending money. We have spent a lot on F1 and at the moment it’s unclear what we can afford,” he said, referring to Europe’s economic crisis.

But the sports newspaper Marca cited sources at the Circuit de Catalunya as saying the F1 and MotoGP races scheduled for 2012 are “guaranteed” at least.

Beyond that, “There are contracts that are more expensive to maintain than to break”, Mas-Colell insisted.

Organisers of the Bahrain grand prix are pushing ahead with preparations for April’s race.
Last year’s pre-season test and race at the Sakhir circuit were cancelled amid the civil uprising within the troubled island Kingdom.

F1 has scheduled to return to Bahrain this year but reports of strife persist, amid claims from human rights groups that the sport’s participants should boycott the April 22 event.

But a spokesman for the circuit says Bahrain has taken strides forward with the independent report into the unrest, insisting the government has subsequently reacted “swiftly and convincingly”.

“It (the race) is supported by an overwhelming majority of people from all sections of society in Bahrain and represents a symbol of national unity,” he is quoted by The National newspaper.

The Daily Mail quotes him adding: “The independent report was a milestone for Bahrain and we will now work tirelessly to ensure the race is a great success.”

 France’s return to the F1 calendar is now so close to confirmation that even a provisional race date has been set.
It emerged just before Christmas that, with the historic French grand prix having been last held at Magny Cours in 2008, the country’s return to the calendar is likely to take place at Paul Ricard in 2013.

The Nice-Matin newspaper had said the Bernie Ecclestone-linked circuit will thereafter alternate a single annual calendar slot with Belgium’s fabled Spa-Francorchamps.

The news follows last year’s establishment of a French grand prix working body by French prime minister Francois Fillon.

“The case is currently on Fillon’s desk,” said a report in the Paris daily Le Figaro.

“He has only to give the green light to sport minister David Douillet and to Nicolas Deschaux, the president of the federation francaise de sport automobile (FFSA).

“The (first) race would be held on 1 September 2013″, Le Figaro revealed, adding that the spectator capacity of the circuit will be lifted to 50,000.

 The government of Valencia will ask F1 chief executive to amend the current contract for the port city’s street grand prix.
“Major events are no longer possible in the way that we have understood until now,” said the government’s vice president Jose Ciscar in media reports published by EFE and EP news agencies.

He is referring to Spain and Europe’s worsening economic crisis, albeit acknowledging that asking Ecclestone for more favourable terms “could result in a penalty”.

When asked if the penalty might cost Valencia more than simply fulfilling the current contract, Ciscar admitted he has not read the fine print.

But during a press conference, he said Valencia is working hard to cut costs amid rising debt and revealed that a “complete and thorough review” of major events will be conducted.

He said part of that review will include a letter to Ecclestone.

Ciscar agreed that the grand prix has “significant value” to Valencia but he said he nonetheless wants to “sit” with the organisers to “renegotiate”.

El Pais newspaper said Valencia pays 21 million euros per race to Ecclestone’s office.

The current contract runs until 2014.

“There are contracts that are signed and we have become accustomed to fulfilling what we agreed. But at the same time everything is subject to revision and we don’t rule anything out,” Ciscar insisted.

More civil unrest in Bahrain will intensify speculation the island Kingdom’s return to the F1 calendar early this year will be called off.
Last year’s pre-season test and also the grand prix at the same Sakhir circuit were cancelled due to a political uprising, in which the government was later found to have used excessive force against its people.

“We have been assured that this is not what’s happening,” said F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone to the Guardian newspaper last month.

“What did the report say? Yes, there were instances or whatever, but … I wanted to go out there. I was happy to go. I’d like to go into the prison or the hospital or whatever and ask What actually happened?” he said.

“I hope we go to Bahrain (in 2012) and there’s no trouble — the race goes on, the public are happy and there are no dramas. That’s what I hope,” added Ecclestone.

Those hopes might now have been dented, amid reports a Bahraini woman was killed after inhaling tear gas fired during a “peaceful” demonstration this week near the capital Manama.

It is the third fatality since late November last year, with one teenager reportedly dying after a tear gas canister hit him on the head in late December and another run over by a police vehicle a month earlier.

Ecclestone was asked last month if he would consider calling off the 2012 race if there was real proof that Bahrain’s problems were persisting.

“We’d have to give it some serious thought then. But we’ve been to Argentina when there’s been big dramas. There’s been dramas in Brazil.

“I think you can look anywhere now and it’s not all good.”

Ecclestone told Al Jazeera in December: “There obviously is a problem and I’m quite sure that eventually they’ll get to the bottom of it and sort it out.”

The Bahrain grand prix is scheduled to be the fourth of 20 races in 2012.

Work at the 2012 US grand prix venue in Austin is back at full swing, according to the motoring weblog Jalopnik.
“The crews are on site and construction of the Circuit of the Americas is underway. I saw it with my own eyes,” wrote the reporter.

The news follows the recent contractual disagreement between the circuit owners, original promoter Tavo Hellmund and Bernie Ecclestone that almost steered the entire project off track.

“Last month the track was mostly just a collection of cleared dirt paths but now crews on every part of the track are working to establish the necessary support structures,” the reporter revealed.

“Cranes hold the support beams for the pits, paddock, and media centre.”

The Texas venue’s communications boss Ali Putnam confirmed that the project is “back to normal” after the speedbump.

France’s return to the F1 calendar after a three year absence is now looming.
That is the claim of Gilles Dufeigneux, who in June was appointed directly by French prime minister Francois Fillon to lead efforts to arrange the race’s comeback.

It is reported by the Nice-Matin newspaper that the event would be staged at Paul Ricard, with an annual race date alternating with Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps.

“Things are moving in a very real way,” said Dufeigneux.

“All the indicators are green now, or soon will be. My current mood is summarised with three words: optimism, prudence, humility.

“We have entered the stage of completion and we can say that final decisions will be made very soon, in January or early February,” he revealed.

Speculation about a return to Mexico for formula one is revving up.
Earlier this year, Sauber sponsor Telmex’s Carlos Slim Domit confirmed that officials are working on a project to end the country’s 20 year absence from the calendar.

On a trip to Mexico in August, FIA president Jean Todt said it is “possible” Mexico will host a race soon.

Slim Domit wrote in a column for FIA in Motion magazine: “Linking races in Canada and the US with a Mexican round would perfectly consolidate formula one’s footprint in North and Central America and provide a viable bridge to the race in Brazil.”

Bernie Ecclestone told the Independent newspaper in September: “After Russia I would like to go to South Africa and Mexico.

“Both countries are trying to do something.”

Germany’s Speed Week now says “leading representatives” of Mexico’s motor racing federation are “very confident” a F1 race is viable, with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on pole position as the venue.

That track, in Mexico City, last hosted the grand prix in 1992, won by Nigel Mansell.

 A shakeup behind the scenes of the Valencia street circuit’s European grand prix has taken place within the last few days.
EFE news agency reports that the regional government, the Generalitat Valenciana, has taken over the running of the annual race from the existing promoter, Valmor Sport.

The report said the transfer involved a nominal fee, in light of Valmor’s debts.

Spain’s AS newspaper said a government spokesman confirmed the news, insisting that the shakeup will not affect the contract with formula one or the relationship with Bernie Ecclestone.

 Construction of the 2012 US GP venue in Texas capital Austin is resuming.
Work at the Circuit of the Americas had been halted amid the dispute between event founder Tavo Hellmund, the track’s new management and financiers, and F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

That dispute was settled ahead of Wednesday’s deadline of the World Motor Sport Council in India, where the race’s inaugural November date was ratified by the FIA.

“We have an agreement,” confirmed circuit spokesman Jeff Hahn, according to local KVUE news.

And Ecclestone told the Austin American Statesman newspaper: “Yes, there will be a race. We hope it will be for 10 years.”

Founding partner Bobby Epstein suggested that while Wednesday’s news is good for the event, it was also a victory for Ecclestone.

“Mr Ecclestone is a masterful negotiator. He fights hard for his company’s best interests,” he said.

As the news broke, local reports revealed that heavy machinery was rolling back onto the circuit construction site.

But after the most recent delay, time is now tighter than ever to complete the project ahead of the inaugural race date next November.

“Our construction group said they can get it done,” insisted Epstein.

Preparations for the inaugural US grand prix in Texas are set to get back into gear.
The FIA announced after Wednesday’s World Motor Sport Council meeting that the event is still scheduled to be held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin next November.

Earlier, Bernie Ecclestone had said Wednesday was the final deadline for a dispute with the organisers – who had halted construction of the circuit – to be resolved.

“Mr Ecclestone received his cheque today,” chief backer Red McCombs said in a statement.

Founding partner Bobby Epstein added: “We’re glad that Tavo (Hellmund)’s vision of bringing F1 to the people of Texas will become a reality.”

As the event’s final deadline winds down on Wednesday, there is a growing feeling that organisers of the US GP in Austin have managed to rescue their 2012 race.
With the World Motor Sport Council in India set to take place imminently, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone had warned Circuit of the Americas bosses to stop dithering and sign a binding deal for 2012 and beyond.

A source close to the organisation has told the Austin Chronicle that the chances the race will go ahead next November are now “looking good”.

“I hope Austin goes ahead,” Red Bull driver Mark Webber, in Tasmania this week for his outdoor adventure event, told the Daily Mail newspaper.

“That track looks sensational. I’ve been shown the animations of the layout and it looks really, really special, so they’ve obviously done a good job there,” he added.

With Austin’s 2012 US GP project all but dead, the first signs of construction at F1′s New York round for 2013 have emerged.
The car weblog Jalopnik published a photo by a New Jersey local: “It might just be the paddock/parking garage, located in exceedingly glamorous Weehawken, but it’s a start,” the report read.

But after Indianapolis left the calendar and the Texas bid hit the dust, obvious cynicism was evident in the report’s title ‘Construction has begun at America’s next failed F1 circuit’.

Indeed, the Texas project has little more than a single day remaining to sort out its contractual dispute with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

According to the Associated Press, the 81-year-old “has set a Wednesday deadline” for the organisers “to guarantee (the race’s) long-term financial backing”.

 Bernie Ecclestone insists a US grand prix in Texas next year remains unlikely, despite race organisers announcing they are now “ready” to pay the sport its overdue sanctioning fee.
With the Circuit of the Americas project reportedly dying, the organisers issued a statement on Thursday announcing they are willing to make “an immediate cash payment”.

“He (Ecclestone) hasn’t received it yet because the new contract presented to us two weeks ago contained unrealistic and unfeasible demands,” said founding partner Bobby Epstein.

“We have signed and returned a contract similar to what we anticipated receiving.”

He admitted the 2012 race will only take place as scheduled if F1′s 81-year-old chief executive returns the revised contract “in the coming few days”.

That appears highly unlikely.

“I doubt it,” Ecclestone, holding a copy of the Circuit of the Americas statement, told reporters at Interlagos.

Asked about Epstein’s complaint that the proposed deal is “unrealistic and unfeasible”, he said: “Yeah, well they shouldn’t sign it. My advice to them is don’t sign it. And they probably won’t get the opportunity.”