USGP In Doubt

MCSF

Would not bother me one bit - save the troble bernie just move it to Sears Point now!

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Ecclestone: US GP future undecided

By Jonathan Noble January 13th 2006, 13:41 GMT

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said that there is no guarantee the United States Grand Prix will remain on the calendar after 2006.

Following the farce of last year's event, where only six cars raced following tyre problems suffered by the Michelin runners, there had been worries that Indianapolis would not even want F1 back this year.

But although the 2006 event is going ahead, Ecclestone has said that nothing is certain beyond this year - especially with the track's F1 contract running out this season.

"The deal finishes this year," he said at the Autosport International Show. "For 2007, the answer at the moment is let's see."

Speaking to guests at the Sid Watkins Safety Fund Lecture, Ecclestone was asked whether he thought there would be a good turnout this year.

"What, of teams?" he joked, before admitting that he 'didn't know' how many spectators would attend the race.

Ecclestone also re-iterated his belief that there was nothing that could have been done to allow last year's race to take place with a full field, even though teams argued at the time that a simple chicane would have allowed the Michelin runners to compete.

"If they had insisted on putting in a chicane it would have been against the regulations," he said, before claiming that the sport's bosses could have been punished if anything had gone wrong after the chicane was installed.

"The circuit has got to be checked 90 days before a race. Had someone been killed then the person responsible for the changes would have been on one of those flat slabs they have in the USA and given an injection. We could not take the risk."

bernie

I can think of several people who wanted to put Bernie and Max ona "flat slab" last year!

Stan

Bernie wants money.

Murph

I believe that this is the last year for the USGP. The only way that Tony George and IMS sign a new contract is if their is a huge turnout this year, and after last years Michelin debacle, that isn't going to happen. The Indy circuit is a joke but it is the only game in town for the USGP. Road America is by far the finest track in the States, but is in the middle of nowhere as far as sponsors are concerned. People forget that Watkins Glen lost the USGP because F1 was going the big business route and there was no place to wine and dine the sponsors.

Road Atlanta has gone through an extensive rebuilding and safety process, but I don't see the F1 circus coming to the red clay of Georgia anytime soon. I would believe that both Laguna Seca and Sears Point would need lots of $$$$ to bring them up to FIA standards.........

This year, I will be going to Indy, Monza, & Spa
Next Year?????? Monaco maybe...........

bernie

Murph, We can still pray that it comes back to The Glen though right? I might disagree with you on the entertainment part there. There is a very nice group of a couple hundred wineries and B&B's very close by... should appeal to the very elite "stay out of the publi eye in a secret place" crowd. If only Paris Hilton would say she would go to the Glen then the jet set crowds would follow...and Bernie (note I use a capial B, cause only the cool bernie's get to use a lwer case one:D ) woul dmake money

Murph

Bernie....... the "spiritial home" of the USGP is the Glen...... BUT...what you and I see as "entertainment value" is not what the big time sponsors and the "Paddock Club" types see as bang for their buck. That was true when the Glen lost the GP after the 1980 race, and in the 25 years that have gone by, the circus has been totally taken over by the corporate crowd mindset. Of course I do remember 1974 when that chartered Greyhound bus was a "victim" of the bog.......
so I can understand the corporate types looking for "more civilized" venues..... and came up with war-torn Detroit and a Las Vegas parking lot......

What makes Spa so fantastic ( besides the track, weather, general admission prices and sight lines, and the fries and pastries...... though there are those gestapo types with their dogs....) is that it is the only anti-corporate style venue left..... ....... even as awesome as Imola was, it is going to have a new paddock constructed that will move fans from the grandstands that were at the entrance to the pits.

why don't you start thinking of the Monza/Spa two-fer....... just use the same scam ya did last year...I'm sure there is some sort of bogus business convention going on somewhere in Europe in early September .............. hehehe

ciao

Jello_Biafra

I believe, not certain though, that both Laguna and Sears are too short. Then again, all it takes is a little cash before Bernie starts to forget about agreements and regulations.

bernie

Unfortunatley the business I have next September is in Chicago. I was serious about The Glen, We vacationed up there this summer. many of the wine tasting rooms in the finger lakes region rival Napa and Sonoma (and remember I lived in NorCal so I have an idea of what I'm comparing). The area has really changed to a sleepy cool, hip area...still with the local ambience

Rekart

I believe, not certain though, that both Laguna and Sears are too short. Then again, all it takes is a little cash before Bernie starts to forget about agreements and regulations.

Sears Point (or Infineon, if you want the real name) can be a pretty long track if you use the infield part, the part that NASCAR doesn't use. I don't know the exact distance, but it has to be around 3.5 miles. Who cares how long the track is, just make it more laps.