Written by:
Kevin Krefting
06/13/2007
Indianapolis, Ind.
Last days for the USGP? The clock is ticking. (LAT photo)
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Formula 1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone appeared to be ready for hardball in discussions over renewing the contract for the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Ahead of this weekend's USGP, the 76-year-old Briton who determines where grands prix will be run seemed nonchalant about the prospect of F1 moving on if he cannot conclude a new deal with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It is not vital to Formula 1 to be in the United States," Ecclestone told Britain's Daily Express newspaper. "There are bigger markets for us to be in other parts of the world. We could be in India soon instead of the United States. We don't have a lot of sponsors from the U.S., no American teams and only one driver," he added.
"I get along with (Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner) Tony George and I hope we can strike a deal, but we have offers from other places in the U.S. too."
Publicly at least, IMS officials remain optimistic about the prospects for the race continuing. IMS president Joie Chitwood told the Associated Press that George was looking to discuss a long-term contract with Ecclestone.
"The hope is, from the dialogue we'll have at the event, that we'll have a result whether it's here or not," Chitwood said. "I think both parties would like to have some closure so we can let the fans know what's happening. I think uncertainty is tough for everybody and more importantly for the fans, from a business standpoint.
"I think now is the time for discussion of a longer term agreement. We don't want to continue doing one-year contracts."
Indianapolis is hoping to add a MotoGP round to its schedule for 2008, which would make an unprecedented four races along with the Indy 500, F1 event and NASCAR's Brickyard 400. It has been speculated that the motorcycles could serve as a replacement for F1; however, Chitwood said it should be possible to fit all four into the Speedway's calendar.
"We'd have to talk with city officials and see what weekends are open, that sort of thing," he said. "We'd have to see what makes sense, but that's so far down the road right now."
Catch up on the developments in Formula 1 each month in RACER. Steve Cooper gets the scoop on the decline of the Renault F1 team this season, and its efforts to turn the tide in our July issue, on sale now.
Indianapolis is in the last year of a contract for the race it has hosted since 2000. Ecclestone has talked in the past of taking Formula 1 to street circuits in Las Vegas or New York.
However, he also faces a squeeze on the calendar, with Valencia and Singapore confirmed as new races for next year while Abu Dhabi is due to make its debut in 2009 and South Korea in 2010.
India is also lobbying hard for a race and Suzuka is looking to return to the championship as a second Japanese race after being replaced by Fuji.
Ecclestone's comments aside – which are similar to ones he made last year before agreeing a one-year extension with Indianapolis – the U.S. is a key market for the automotive manufacturers who dominate the sport and own most of the teams.
"The automobile market in the USA is the biggest one for Mercedes-Benz outside Germany," noted Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug, whose company owns 40 percent of championship leaders McLaren.
"For the BMW Group, the USA Grand Prix is of key importance in so far as the United States is our biggest market," said BMW Sauber boss Mario Theissen in a team preview of Sunday's race. "We sell more cars there than in Germany and also have our biggest production sites outside Germany."
