Formula One coming to Austin!!!!

[David]

If this was April, I'd think it was a joke but it's not:

Formula 1â„¢ - The Official F1â„¢ Website

Of course saying it's going to happen and it really happening are two different things.


So I've waited 26 years to see my second F1 race. The first was the only F1 race in Texas in 1984 and my second will be in Montreal. Looks like my third will be back in Texas!

[URY914]

In the last 30 day it was in NJ, then NY now TX. Don't hold your breath....

[holtjv]

Crazy. Hadn't heard a thing about it until now.

Will definitely turn me into an f1 fan.

But MOST importantly, maybe we'll get some more direct flights to cities other than dallas and houston.

[imcarthur]

"It was not immediately known where an F1 track would be built in Austin."

Statesman

Ready by 2012? Good in theory.

Ian

[mattdavis11]

Apparently there is a deal from 2012 to 2021 with the State of Texas and F1 and Austin is where the track will be built. No doubt it's going to be in east Austin, most likely south east.

This could quite possibly be the biggest waste of tax payer money I've ever heard of. Austin needs roads, the state needs roads, not a race track where 9 people will show up to watch a race for an afternoon that has predetermined winner via qualifying.

If this does get built, it better be open to all Texans to play on the other 364 days of the year. Outside of that, I think this is an awful decision, it ought to be built with private funds, just like the track in Fort Worth.

[Noah930]

Report I read claims it's to be built with private funds.

Still, with no track built (with attendant FIA quality paddock/media center/timing & scoring/etc) or mention of where Bernie's $30 mil annual fee is coming from, I wouldn't be making travel plans just yet.

[dd74]

And have another F1 race in L.A., and no, not at Long Beach.

But a circuit that goes down Sunset to Beverly Glen, then to Wilshire, cuts through Westwood and UCLA, then back up to Sunset. Guaranteed it will be a very fast race.

[legion]

If only there was a place in the U.S. that recently spent a boatload of money to build a modern F1 track...

[cashflyer]

I didn't think there was a such place.... is there?

There is an FIA-F1 sanctioned track in the works for South Carolina:
http://www.racersparadise.us/

But just because you build it, they will not necessarily come play.
Dubai has an F1 track. How many GP of Dubai have we seen?

[legion]

I'll give you a hint...it starts with Indi and ends with anapolis.

[kanadary]

why can't they use an existing track like laguna seca. i've never seen a race there in person but the track looks amazing on tv.

[Rloop]

Austin is a huge surprise, but I am stoked! But I wonder if this is a strategy by Bernie to get what he really wants from another venue in the US.

Local news is going crazy because it came unexpectedly. Also seems to be unfunded, but who knows. I suspect tax payer money will go in to it, and all I can say is, best use of my tax dollars in a long time! This will balance out all of the things I cover as a taxpayer, that I don't want to cover.

The Austin location is central to a number of top ten US cities -- Houston, Dallas, Ft Worth, San Antonio. So you have 5 of the top 10 cities by population within 2-3 hours, depending on where they put the track. Austin seems like a good choice to me.

Lou

[tchanson]

Lets see. FTP claims that only private investor money will be used to construct a new circuit, for which land has not yet been purchased. Estimate a minimum of 250M for an FIA approved facility, likely closer to 300M before all done.

Then there is the FOM sanction/event fee. Based on the numbers that were published a few years ago when Indy was negotiating a new contract, Bernie's fee is likely a minimum of 25M per annum, with incremental annual increases. That would certainly make the annual fee north of 30M in the later years of the 10 year contract.

Given that the promoter receives no television income, nor any income from track signage, they are heavily dependent on the gate for revenue. You would need 100,000 spectators at $250 each to just cover the fee, not to mention the millions in other annual expenses to run the event. And you still have a 300M deficit from the construction of the facility.

The Austin paper claims that a TX state event fund will likely help with the fee, due to the positive economic impact the event will bring. It doesn't say how much. I think they have no idea of the speed with which F1 can burn mountains of cash.

The only thing that seems certain to me is that Bernie and FOM have likely received a hefty, non-refundable check from FTP to show good faith when the letter of intent/contract was signed.

I wish them well and hope they can somehow pull this off. I think its more likely this is the US version of Donnington Park.

I don't think this race will ever happen.





Tim

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by dd74

L.A.

NO.

Originally Posted by cashflyer

South Carolina

NO.

Originally Posted by legion

Indianapolis.

NO.

Originally Posted by kanadary

laguna seca

NO.


Why?

I can't drive to any of those sites in less than 2 hours

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by legion

I'll give you a hint...it starts with Indi and ends with anapolis.

They didn't build an F1 track.
They added an infield section to their oval.

There is a difference between what they did and a "purpose built F1 track".

[sammyg2]

LOL, in related news:

Indy car driver Danica Patrick admits she is unlikely to ever race in F1 because of the 'unfriendly' atmosphere.

Patrick, who was the first woman to win an Indy car race, has been linked in the past with a move to Formula One but the 28-year-old reveals she is put off the sport by the often icy tone in the F1 paddock.

"Something that's very important to me is having fun." Patrick told The Sunday Times.

"I think the environment of F1 is a little bit less friendly than American racing. In F1, you just don't see the drivers hanging out. Drivers such as Takuma Sato, who came over after doing F1 for a while, says everyone's so nice here. And it's true - everyone is so calm, relaxed and friendly."

Everyone except herself maybe.
Or maybe she knows she doesn't have anywhere near the talent to even be an F1 test driver.
Or maybe she realizes that her hissy-fits and tantrums would not be tolerated by real professionals.

[emcon5]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Or maybe she realizes that her hissy-fits and tantrums would not be tolerated by real professionals.

Unless you are a former World Champion.

[URY914]

[txhokie4life]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

NO.

Why?

I can't drive to any of those sites in less than 2 hours

With the great transportation infrastructure that exists from Houston to Austin -- you really think you can make it from anywhere in Houston to the F1 Track in 2 hours? During race weekend.

We'll be luck if we can get from Austin to the track in 2 hours!

m

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by legion

I'll give you a hint...it starts with Indi and ends with anapolis.

You are close! Its in Arizona, you know, the state all liberals like to love and a brand new track!

INDE MOTORSPORTS RANCH

We just held a Porsche event there two weekends ago!