Bernie Ecclestone is open to more races in the United States. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Ecclestone Eyes LA For F1's Next US Race: After Texas and New York, Bernie Ecclestone's next American target could be Los Angeles. The F1 chief executive said this week that, because the US is about the same size as Europe and a huge market for the sport, there should be more American races on the calendar. Formula One is this weekend finally ending a five-year hiatus by reviving the US GP at the brand new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. New Jersey was set to join the schedule next year, but the street race amid the Manhattan skyline could now happen in 2014. Asked by the Associated Press if LA could be next, Ecclestone said: "Maybe we can do something (there) in the future." Tavo Hellmund, the original mastermind of this weekend's US GP, has admitted he is now pushing to revive the Mexican GP at the old Mexico City track. "The Americas are probably big enough to have five or six Grands Prix," he told the Austin American Statesman newspaper.

Hellmund Now Pushing To Revive Mexican GP: The former mastermind of this weekend's US Grand Prix in Austin, Tavo Hellmund, now has his sights fixed on returning Formula One to Mexico. Hellmund fell out spectacularly with the eventual Circuit of the Americas management, but he is at the track this weekend and has some key meetings planned. "The sky is the limit," he told the Austin American Statesman newspaper. "It could potentially break every Grand Prix attendance record." Hellmund is talking about Mexico, even though his friend Bernie Ecclestone recently ruled out the old Grand Prix circuit in Mexico City. "That's the problem," said the F1 chief executive. "It's the old one. It just needs sorting out a bit." Hellmund plans to raise between $60-75 million for the upgrade job. "The track needs a facelift, but so many of the right components are in place," he said. "I think it's totally the right time. No one wants to waste the opportunity of having these (Mexican F1) drivers." Indeed, Mexican Sergio Perez is set to switch to the high-profile F1 grandee McLaren, while countryman Esteban Gutierrez is tipped to replace him at Sauber. Perez said on Thursday: "If he comes (to Sauber), it will be good to have two Mexican drivers after so much time without a driver. Now we are finally going to have two on the grid."

Practice, Qualifying Ban For DRS In 2013: The use of the moveable rear wing innovation 'DRS' will be banned in practice and qualifying in 2013, it has emerged. The ban follows complaints from the drivers themselves, who argued that the innovation — to make overtaking easier during races — had also made driving more dangerous. "The request to Charlie (Whiting) was practically unanimous," Australian driver Mark Webber told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. Webber said that in the quest for faster lap times, drivers were often opening their rear wings in the middle of very fast corners. "We believe there have been a number of incidents and drivers have told me it is becoming increasingly prevalent," Whiting is quoted by the BBC. Whiting said the FIA had only ever allowed the use of DRS in practice and qualifying because he feared drivers would otherwise sacrifice the DRS' overtaking benefits when setting up the cars. But we see that they (the teams) have taken a different approach," Whiting is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. "So we are going to change the rule for 2013." The use of DRS in the specific overtaking zones will still be allowed during practice and qualifying in 2013, he added.

Kovalainen Admits F1 Exit Possible: Heikki Kovalainen has admitted it is possible he will walk away from F1 at the end of the season. Although highly-rated, the Finn could be dropped by Caterham for 2013, due to the team dropping outside the lucrative top ten places in the constructors' championship. It is believed the Tony Fernandes-led team is considering replacing him with the sponsored Dutch driver, Giedo van der Garde. Kovalainen, 31, ruled out keeping his F1 dream alive by turning to a test driver position. "If I am not a racing driver, I will do something totally different," he is quoted by rtl.nl. "I have a few ideas but I haven't really thought about it. Apart from Formula One, there is little that interests me, not even sports cars. DTM? No. America? No. Rally is really the only thing that interests me, but we have seen how difficult that is," he said. Rtl.nl claims that if Kovalainen finishes outside the top 10 in both Austin and Brazil, he will beat Italian Piercarlo Ghinzani's record for the most consecutive Grands Prix without scoring a point. "Of course I would prefer the record for the most number of points consecutively, but it is what it is," said Kovalainen.

Schumacher Buys Horse Ranch In Texas: Michael Schumacher has bought a 200-hectare ranch in Texas, according to the German newspaper Bild. The report said the seven-time World Champion's equestrian-loving wife Corinna has already started breeding riding horses at the property, where they have been staying in the past few days. The ranch has stables for 36 horses, Bild added, but quoted Schumacher as insisting: "No, no, we're going to keep living in Switzerland. But we will also be here and plan to spend more time here," said the Mercedes driver in Austin, Texas, ahead of the US Grand Prix. Schumacher, 43, is returning to retirement after next weekend's Brazilian GP.