F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Looks like Austin decided to write a ginormous check to Bernie. They can try to make Austin sound like the quintessential US city, but in the end, Austin is slightly smaller than Indy and does not have the name recognition of IMS. They mentioned in the F1.com article about how Austin will be able to draw from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston, but couldn't Indy draw from Chicago, Cincinatti, St. Louis.....

Maybe the one thing that will help Austin is that they don't currently have any professional sports franchises, which might help the city embrace this event.... All told, F1 in the US is a tough sell. Good luck Austin, you will have your work cut out for you.

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

I wouldn't say Indy didn't embrace em. More like F-1 Crapped all over them with their Tire boycott and bribes for more $$

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Wondering if taxpayer money will be used?
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/...rix-in-austin/

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

I wonder what kind of money it takes to build a brand new "purpose built" F-1 track?

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Originally Posted by badgerfan:
I wonder what kind of money it takes to build a brand new "purpose built" F-1 track?

Probably more then anyone on this website can fathom. I'll say upwards of close too $100,000,000 - $250,000,000. At least F1 is coming back to the states. I wonder what the track design / track layout will look like.:8:

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Originally Posted by nathans1012:
Probably more then anyone on this website can fathom. I'll say upwards of close too $100,000,000 - $250,000,000. At least F1 is coming back to the states. I wonder what the track design / track layout will look like.:8:

I just don't see it happening in Austin. As far as Texas towns go, it is our fair state's version of Berkely. It seems to be a very, very odd choice to me. Even San Antonio would have made a better choice; but still unusual. When I first read it, that is what I thought it said, but when I saw Austin. There have been a lot of "paper tracks" in Texas and even more cons and swindles invovling large swaths of land. This one could be interesting. I say that it is as likely as happening as the next Houston Texaco Grand Prix.

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

The Eco-Nazi's will shut this down Pronto.

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
I wouldn't say Indy didn't embrace em. More like F-1 Crapped all over them with their Tire boycott and bribes for more $$

I went to all the F-1 races at Indy until the tire fiasco. I even sent a letter to IMS about it and they sent a response of " Its not our fault, it's F-1." The fans embraced it but the F-1 higher ups didnt seem to care. Let them go to Austin or any other city on try to hold them hostage with $$$$$$$$. It wont work in the USA until changes are made in the leaders of F-1. But will that happen? I doubt. To heck with F-1, go to your local track and support them. No matter if it's dirt or pavement. Racing is 100% better.

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

One of the higher ups at McLaren already came out and said that they don't have an detailed knowledge of the plan, but because F1 has tried and failed so many times in the US, that F1 should look closely at the US market and try catering their product for the American consumer instead of just holding another carbon copy clone grand prix like they do everywhere else.

Eddie Gossage piped in and said that TMS cost $250 million back when they built it in the 90's. I can't imagine that a brand new F1 track could be had for less. Throw in the cost of buying 600+ acres of land close to the city.

Good luck getting the track land purchased, designed, permitted and built in 2 years. Sounds like another Donnington to me. Maybe the endgame is IMS getting the USGP again after Austin fails. Not that I want Austin to fail, but USF1 started with the same kind of press conference and Donnington started with a 10 year deal....

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Originally Posted by aussiemidgetfan:
And so nobody had the right to demand refunds when cars dropped out through tyre problems.

True, it was an engineering problem with the tires in an era of tire competition. But first and foremost, racing has to be a show for the fans in attendance and watching worldwide. This is the kind of debacle that F1 is known for. I am a fan of F1, but I sometimes wonder why.

Take for instance the debacle at Monaco just a few days ago. The safety car pulled in on the last lap of the race and the track officials showed green flags, so Schumacher overtook Alonso on the short drag from pit in up to the start/finish line. Problem is, there are conflicting rules in the FIA's rulebook. One rule says on the final lap there is no overtaking after the safety car pulls in. Another new rule for this year says that overtaking is allowed after the safety car pulls in (used to be overtaking was only allowed after the start/finish line had been crossed). Garbage! It was clear the teams and race control had no idea how to manage this situation. Ferrari was directing Alonso that there was no overtaking on the final lap, while everyone else seemed to think there was. Race control showed green flags as soon as the SC pulled in. Then the stewards had to figure out what to do.....

For the pinnacle of modern motorsport, they sure could learn a few things from track officials and race promoters in Indiana.

That said, the only people I cheered for from stand J at the tire debacle GP were the track workers.... sad.

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

I had great seats going into turn 1 on the F1 course. supported every race. To all the pompas F1 drivers who would not stay in Indy, Bernie and the F1 :26:

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

I wouldn't be holding my breath that this will ever materialize.:19: With this economy, nobody in their right mind would throw that type of coin around for F-1. More news media garbage that Little Lord Fontleroy is putting out. In my opinion, if it won't work at Indy, it won't happen successfully any place else in the USA.

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Just a few notes from a hardcore F1 fan.

I think Austin would be a great city to host an F1 race. Plenty to do there, a beautiful city and friendly people.

Cost of a new F1 "purpose built" facility? Considering that Hermann Tilke is designing the track/facility, look for a budget of around $300,000,000.

The promoter has purchased 800 acres East of the Austin airport. This is "hill country", so the track should have some good elevation changes, which is a good thing.

One of my older brothers works for Dell in Austin. He says that the "town is excited" and there is talk at Dell that they may jump on board in some capacity. Also, there are some very big corporations in Austin too.

Eco-Nazis? We're talking about Texas.

I too would love to see F1 return to Indy. The last two races were better than half the races "across the pond". But don't forget, The Troll (Bernie) wan't two races in the USA, so all is not lost for Indy as of now...

Re: F! US Grand Prix to Austin TX 2012
 

Hopefully the track design is way different from any other track on the Formula 1 circuit.

A GOOD TRACK MIGHT INCLUDE:
good seating for the fans to possibly see the hole track from evey seat
make the track fan friendly
make track technically challenging for drivers
long straits
high speed corners
slow speed corners
good elevation changes
sharp corners
long corners
:22: