Ecclestone: F1 Will Be Less Popular in the United States
Formula 1 will return to the United States in 2012, but Bernie Ecclestone does not expect the Grand Prix to be very popular across the Atlantic.
The last Formula 1 Grand Prix held in the United States took place in 2007, on the Indianapolis circuit. Five years later, F1 will make its grand return to the land of Uncle Sam, in Austin, Texas, on the brand new Circuit of the Americas. Starting in 2013, a second race will even be organized near New York.
The team bosses and F1 officials want to organize races in the United States because it’s an interesting market for car manufacturers and for the development of the sport. But Bernie Ecclestone, the FOM boss, does not expect F1 to be as popular as it is in Europe.
Interviewed by David Frost on the Al Jazeera English channel to find out if F1 would be a popular event in the United States, he replied: «No».
« We have a maximum of two races in the United States, and when you consider the country is as large as Europe and we have several races in Europe, it’s difficult. If there were more races there and more television broadcasts, that would be good,» added Ecclestone during the interview.
