Formula 1 returns to the United States in 2012

[epper]

In Austin, Texas? Wow, didn't see that one coming. This should be awesome. When's the last time there was a world-class standalone road course built in North America?

Formula One World Championship Limited and Formula One Administration Limited (together, the F1 Commercial Rights Holder) and Full Throttle Productions, LP, promoter of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix?, announce that a historic agreement has been reached for Austin, Texas to serve as the host city of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix? for years 2012 through 2021.

?We are extremely honoured and proud to reach an agreement with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder. 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. All parties involved have a great amount of trust and confidence in each other and are committed to establishing the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix? in Austin, Texas as a prestigious global event,? stated Tavo Hellmund, Managing Partner of Full Throttle Productions, LP.

Bernie Ecclestone, President and CEO of the Formula One Group stated: ?For the first time in the history of Formula One in the United States, a world-class facility will be purpose-built to host the event. It was thirty years ago that the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix? was last held on a purpose-built permanent road course circuit in Watkins Glen, NY (1961-1980), which enjoyed great success. Since then, Formula One has been hosted by Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all on temporary street circuits. Indianapolis joined the ranks of host cities in 2000 when they added a road course inside the famed oval. Lewis Hamilton won the last Formula 1 United States Grand Prix? in 2007, signalling the end to eight years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This however, will be the first time a facility is constructed from the ground up specifically for Formula One in the US.?

Mr. Hellmund added: ?This is a case of the right timing in the right place. As many Americans know, Austin has earned a reputation as one of the ?it? cities in the United States. Austin features that rare combination of ideal geographic location and beauty. Its fine dining, world-renowned hospitality and excellent transportation infrastructure make Austin ideally suited to host and manage an event of this magnitude. Few cities if any in America could rival the connectivity of all the key elements needed for hosting a Formula 1 event as well as Austin. Now, many people around the world will have the opportunity to experience a world-class event, facility and city.?

[DelayedPenalty]

WTF? That's from waaaaaay out of left field! I figured the best shot F1 had at returning to the US was Indy, or possibly Laguna Seca.

I guess this falls right into Bernie's hands. A city who is willing to fully devote to F1 and build a facility that will meet their exact (and completely outrageous) demands.

[DEAD!]

WTF? That's from waaaaaay out of left field! I figured the best shot F1 had at returning to the US was Indy, or possibly Laguna Seca.

I guess this falls right into Bernie's hands. A city who is willing to fully devote to F1 and build a facility that will meet their exact (and completely outrageous) demands.

This will ultimately fail and the grand prix will move to Winnipeg

[RyanMcD29]

Austin? I was hoping more for Road America or especially Watkins Glen when school is still in session for me at Syracuse.

[DelayedPenalty]

WTF? That's from waaaaaay out of left field! I figured the best shot F1 had at returning to the US was Indy, or possibly Laguna Seca.

I guess this falls right into Bernie's hands. A city who is willing to fully devote to F1 and build a facility that will meet their exact (and completely outrageous) demands.

This will ultimately fail and the grand prix will move to Winnipeg

Bernie Eccelstone is no Gary Bettman. He'll yank the plug on you so fast if you mess up. If Eccs ran the NHL Winnipeg would have lost their team, got it back, lost them again, and got them back in the 15 years since the move to Phoenix.

[dwertman]

WTF? That's from waaaaaay out of left field! I figured the best shot F1 had at returning to the US was Indy, or possibly Laguna Seca.

I guess this falls right into Bernie's hands. A city who is willing to fully devote to F1 and build a facility that will meet their exact (and completely outrageous) demands.

King Bernie wants nothing to do with Tony George..so Indy was out of the picture from the moment they left..but Austin?!?! really?!?!...an interesting decision to be sure

[NEW.ERA]

Road America would have been a good fit though my first pick would be Watkins Glen tons and tons of history at that place.

[DelayedPenalty]

Road America would have been a good fit though my first pick would be Watkins Glen tons and tons of history at that place.

Watkins Glen is a death trap for F1. Nowhere near enough runoff area or room between the guardrails for modern F1 standards. Unless they throw in a bunch of chicanes to keep speeds down.

[Hathaway Browne]

Yee-haw!!Didn't see this one coming at all. I thought that Montichello, NY was the best bet somewhere down the line. On the upside though, at least it will be a purpose built facility as opposed to squeezing F1 into an existing circuit.Lets just hope Herr Tilke isn't anywhere near the drawing board.

[oddball]

This screams failure to me. Have they not learned that the United States is just not interested in their series? Formula 1 is like soccer in the United States, a cute little niche and the rest of the country doesn't care. Of motorsports, it's NASCAR and then nothing. I watch F1, but let's be realistic, this means little here. If F1 (because Bernie Ecclestone isn't in charge anymore) hasn't learned from all the other failed attempts to have his snobbish racing group come to this country, I don't know if he ever will. Who I really feel sorry for, are the the fools who are going to build this track only to see this venture fail and F1 pull the plug on it for some track in the Middle East. My gut says F1's goal is to have a full F1 season and not leave the Middle East except for Monaco.

[dfwabel]

This screams failure to me. Have they not learned that the United States is just not interested in their series? Formula 1 is like soccer in the United States, a cute little niche and the rest of the country doesn't care. Of motorsports, it's NASCAR and then nothing. I watch F1, but let's be realistic, this means little here. If F1 (because Bernie Ecclestone isn't in charge anymore) hasn't learned from all the other failed attempts to have his snobbish racing group come to this country, I don't know if he ever will. Who I really feel sorry for, are the the fools who are going to build this track only to see this venture fail and F1 pull the plug on it for some track in the Middle East. My gut says F1's goal is to have a full F1 season and not leave the Middle East except for Monaco.

They seem to want to expand the schedule up to 25. I think that is way too many races. Shipping cars to North America for just one race seems to be a large expense too. SXSW is generally in mid-March. Austin City Limits is luckily for them in October. The summer is too hot as they saw with the Nigel pushing his car in 1984 so they have open time. The track is an issue for the driver not me, I could care less. By 2012, Rossi could leave the bikes and move to Ferrari.

China is not scheduled for 2012 along with Turkey, but they Istanbul and Shanghai are more cosmopolitan than Austin. Austin has Dell and other computer money, but they should try to make a replacement for the SuperDrum a reality over this. Granted, I will probably try to make the initial race, but when it is on the schedule is also a concern.

[rainmaker17]

I don't get this at all. Austin is too "it" for it's own good. Our secret motto is "please visit and spend money...but don't move here."

Here's the Statesman take, be sure to read the comments:

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/is-formula-one-coming-to-austin-709355.html

[RedRenesis]

I am so glad to see F1 come back to the States, it may not be a popular sport in this country but I think that they can fill up the grandstands with the kind of capacity that they are talking about. My two concerns right now are that two years to get this whole track built is not a lot of time, and that they are going to drag in Herman Tilke to design this whole thing and its going to be a train wreck like most of the tracks that he designs are.

[crashcarson15]

This screams failure to me. Have they not learned that the United States is just not interested in their series? Formula 1 is like soccer in the United States, a cute little niche and the rest of the country doesn't care. Of motorsports, it's NASCAR and then nothing. I watch F1, but let's be realistic, this means little here. If F1 (because Bernie Ecclestone isn't in charge anymore) hasn't learned from all the other failed attempts to have his snobbish racing group come to this country, I don't know if he ever will. Who I really feel sorry for, are the the fools who are going to build this track only to see this venture fail and F1 pull the plug on it for some track in the Middle East. My gut says F1's goal is to have a full F1 season and not leave the Middle East except for Monaco.

They seem to want to expand the schedule up to 25. I think that is way too many races. Shipping cars to North America for just one race seems to be a large expense too. SXSW is generally in mid-March. Austin City Limits is luckily for them in October. The summer is too hot as they saw with the Nigel pushing his car in 1984 so they have open time. The track is an issue for the driver not me, I could care less. By 2012, Rossi could leave the bikes and move to Ferrari.

China is not scheduled for 2012 along with Turkey, but they Istanbul and Shanghai are more cosmopolitan than Austin. Austin has Dell and other computer money, but they should try to make a replacement for the SuperDrum a reality over this. Granted, I will probably try to make the initial race, but when it is on the schedule is also a concern.

Well I'd assume they'll still be in Montreal so that'd be a second race here in NA.

[RedRenesis]

Well I'd assume they'll still be in Montreal so that'd be a second race here in NA.

Also, since the sport has centered itself around cost containment now, I'd assume its cheaper if they threw Interlagos in as part of the NA swing. Throw that race in after Montreal and Austin and save on an additional one race flyaway back west at the end of the season. I liked seeing the WDC decided there the last few years but since Abu Dhabi is apparently going to be the season closing race, they could just go ahead and move Brazil forward now.

[Hathaway Browne]

Here's the long awaited circuit layout...

The 3.4 mile (5.47 kilometre) circuit features 20 turns and a total elevation change of 133 feet (40.5 metres), including a steep, uphill run into the hairpin Turn 1, which is expected to become the venue?s signature corner. In common with just three other current F1 venues - Istanbul Park, Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit and Interlagos in Brazil - it will run in an anticlockwise direction.

http://www.formula1....10/9/11198.html

[epper]

Love all the elevation changes, which have been sorely lacking from most of the recent new tracks (Bahrain, Malaysia, China, Turkey, by no fault of their own of course) Looks to be a really fun track from a drivers standpoint, and it offers a great mix of high-speed aero sections and low-speed "mechanical grip" sections.

[illwauk]

I don't get this at all. Austin is too "it" for it's own good. Our secret motto is "please visit and spend money...but don't move here unless you make at least $100,000/year."

FYP

[BigMac12]

It's an interesting track.

How would you name the turns? (I would call the 3rd turn "The Intimidator," but that's just me.)

[dfwabel]

That is literally tons of dirt to move (or import) within that plot of land to make those elevation changes.