Heatwave hits the United States Grand Prix
Nick Craw fears that the weather in Texas in June might not be favorable for the organization of the United States Grand Prix, which has been provisionally scheduled for June 17, 2012.
As we announced to you on Friday, following the World Motor Sport Council in Barcelona, the number of races on the 2012 calendar could rise to 21, including the return of the United States Grand Prix, scheduled for June 17.
If Tavo Hellmund, promoter of the Grand Prix, has been assuring for months that the ‘Circuit of the Americas’ will be ready to host the Grand Prix by June 2012, Nick Craw, president of the FIA’s North American Committee, however, mentions in the columns of the Texas newspaper Statesman a possible postponement of the Grand Prix date: « There is a provisional date, it will only be definitive after the World Council in September or December. A date in the fall remains possible and would probably offer cooler conditions.
Indeed, the concern arises not so much from the delivery time of the circuit but from the weather that will prevail there in June. For example, in 2009, according to the newspaper, the temperature on June 17th was 34°C, and in 2008, it flirted with 38°C, while the humidity level is generally above 90%. Thus, the conditions would be, more or less, identical to those found, somewhat earlier in the season, in Malaysia.
According to Dr. Stephen Olvey, director of the medical service at the ‘Circuit of the Americas’, weather can play an important role in the number of people who become sick or injured. Dr. Olvey also adds that 99% of the people who need medical attention during major races of this kind are primarily spectators. There are many cases of heat exhaustion, sunburns, and people who enjoy themselves a bit too much [Editor’s note: alcohol consumption and heat rarely mix well].
The United States Grand Prix, which is expected to attract 120,000 spectators, could therefore consider the idea of a different date than the one announced, at the end of the season, probably when returning to the American continent, before or after the Brazilian Grand Prix. For all the information on the F1 2012.
Be that as it may, Bob Lander, president of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, is pleased to finally have a date to announce to the many fans who have been asking him for months when the Grand Prix will take place: « We were lucky that it was announced around 5 or 6 PM in Europe, so we were able to inform the hotels accordingly. […] We think we’ll need just about every room in the city. »
