Austin thrilled to be postponed to the month of November
The organizers in Austin did not hesitate to express their displeasure about being scheduled in June due to the high temperatures in Texas at that time of year. Therefore, they are delighted that the revised calendar proposed by Bernie Ecclestone places their event on November 18, 2012.
Tavo Hellmund, the president of the United States Grand Prix, stated: « From the beginning of the project, I hoped to have a date at the end of the season, and I see it as a very positive sign that Formula One wants its event in the United States to exceed all expectations. Mr. Ecclestone has dozens of conflicting constraints when he has to set the race calendar. He must balance the interests of the teams with those of the organizers and even consider the unique situation of each host country. Having our race at the end of the season is a wonderful place to welcome the world next year. I couldn’t be more grateful from both a personal and professional standpoint. »
One of the immediate benefits of being at the end of the season, besides the problem of summer heat, is that if the championship is not yet decided, it will undoubtedly increase the number of spectators and viewers around the American event. Furthermore, it provides an additional five months to complete all infrastructure work, which can never be a negative for an event that aims to make a strong impression at its first edition.
This change of date should not jeopardize the granting of the 25 million dollars from the specific fund provided by Texas legislation, as acknowledged by Wayne Hollingsworth, a member of the local event organizing committee: «Our application to the Event Trust Fund has been completed and submitted. We appreciate the support provided by the management controller team. Although we have not fully analyzed the potential consequences of a date change for the race, we believe that, if implemented by the FIA, it will not affect the eligibility of the Formula 1 race for the Major Trust Fund but could impact the timing. And if the event does indeed change dates, to meet the criteria, we will update our application based on the new date and hope to receive authorization later in the year.»
However, this change of dates is not making everyone happy. The teams have complained that they will have to face seven events in just ten weeks. Regarding the Austin event, the particular problem is that there are no direct flights between the Texan capital and Sao Paulo, where the next race is supposed to take place… just a week later!
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
