Formula One has its own charm and these sports followers are increasing with each passing day all across the globe. With just four more races left in this season, fans can just ask for more of it as they anxiously wait for the season to start and follow their favorite team and driver to win. Just ahead of the U.S Grand Prix Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has dampened all hopes of adding more races to be held in the United States. At least there is no hope in the near term after the sports takeover by Liberty Media.
The Briton who turns 86 next week told Reuters at the U.S Grand Prix on Friday “I think it will be difficult to get more races,” “I tried in New York. The trouble with the Americans is (that) you want to do a deal with them and they want guaranteed profit before they start. I said if I knew that was going to happen, I wouldn’t need you.”
As per this sport’s financial structure promoters have to pay hefty sanctioning fees at least US$23 million in the case of the Circuit of the Americas with ticket sales as the major source of revenue. The United States has one round of the current 21-acre championship, at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas after a series of failed attempts elsewhere. However, there has been a constant and regular talk of adding races on the east and west coasts. Expectations were high by last month’s takeover of the cash generating sport by the company controlled by U.S. cable TV mogul John Malone.
Ecclestone who has been talking for months to would-be promoters of a Las Vegas race said there had been a lot of meetings and joked he should have secured the concession to provide the mineral water. He said “They are professional meeting people, the Americans, aren’t they? They love meetings. Seven in the morning.”
Even Austin’s place on the calendar looked in doubt last year due to the threat of reduced state funding but that issue got resolved and there is a talk of a 120,000 strong crowd this year. This number will go high at least 10 times with Grammy award winner Taylor Swift holding a concert at the track on Saturday.
Ecclestone said of Austin “It’s not the sort of contract I like produced. But we’ve done a lot to help them along because I more or less talked them into it in the first place,” “So we’ll try and keep them going.”
