The New York Grand Prix will not threaten Montreal
If the arrival of New York as early as 2013 could be a threat to the Austin event, it could also threaten the Montreal event, which is relatively close geographically. However, the Quebec leaders feel confident thanks to their three-year contract with Bernie Ecclestone.
The Journal de Montréal was quick to release a headline stating that it was a direct threat to the Canadian Grand Prix since the two cities are close, on a North American continental scale (six-hour drive).
François Dumontier, the promoter of the event, responded as follows: «Holding a Grand Prix in the New York area is good news for Formula 1 in North America, but claiming that this new race might harm Montreal seems premature to me.»
Indeed, he believes that this will enhance the overall appeal of F1 in the United States and that there is room for two, or even three, events with Austin. Raymond Bachand, the minister of the Montreal region, stated: “Of course, there might be fewer New Yorkers coming to Montreal. But there might be more people who will take an interest in Formula 1. There are a lot of people in the United States who watch Nascar and aren’t interested in Formula 1, so this could be positive. If ever there were 20 million more Americans interested in Formula 1, it would be good for F1.”
There is therefore no question of alternating between the two events in the northeastern quarter of the continent since each city wants to ensure its promotion every year and not every two years, as François Dumontier repeats: «We are not interested in presenting our race every two years and I am convinced that New Jersey thinks the same way.» That is why the two organizations will try to optimize their communication since the two races will be only a week apart: «Our role is to optimize the two races that will take place a week apart in June. Our joint efforts will benefit both organizations involved.»
In any case, the leaders do not feel concerned by different logistical constraints compared to usual since they are only responsible for the transport between the airport and the circuit: « The Canadian Grand Prix handles the equipment, on the ground, upon its arrival at Mirabel airport. We are also tasked with re-routing the cargo to the same place after the race. The rest is not our responsibility. » For the rest (namely the air logistics), the costs and management are handled by Bernie Ecclestone, who thereby allows the costs to be spread over two races instead of just one.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
