http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60902 Sounds good to me, but there's always to the Bernie factor...
I didn't realize that you could sell that many more Accords with a solid 12th place performance. But seriously I'm glad to see a car manufacturer rooting for the return of the USGP. If only Dieter Zeschke would do the same.
I hope the rest of the manufacturers will follow...I guess is a huge blow for all the car manufacturers...even Ferrari wants to race there just based on market... I´m confident they´ll find a proper venue...
That's great, but notice he doesn't suggest any venues. That's the problem, where do you host an alternate GP? Not to mention two or three like he suggested.
I don't think they would sell any fewer Honda's if there's no USGP. It is good to see the manufacturers stepping up though.
Honda is not the first manufacturer to state this. Bridgestone would also like to see a USGP. There are others. As Vodofone considers its Verizon position, they may have much to gain as well. Funny though, that BMW or Mercedes have not gone on record for its preservation... Guess I'll have to buy a Honda product.
Maybe Honda and Toyota could create a joint venture and build a proper track in the US. They already manufacture here and it would be great PR to say they brought F1 back and created several hundred jobs in the process. Besides, it would only cost a fraction of their combined annual team budgets to build it.
They are losing enough money just being in F1 as it is right now. I doubt they would come together to privately fund an FIA-spec track like that. Unless they can come up with another good venue, I say we just go back to Indy and run the new Moto GP layout, but still run clockwise.
Are you going to take a guess on *when* it may be back? - I've got a few bucks in my pocket says it won't be for many years :-(
I've read statements from both BMW's Mario Theissen and Mercedes Norbert Haug saying that the US GP is very important to them. Here: Ecclestone: US GP 'not vital' for F1
I venture to guess that they are shopping for a sponsor(s) to pick-up a lion's share of the promotion costs. It seemed that Bernie was really unhappy to see billboards for the Indy 500 and not the F1 race, when he got off the plane. It kinda suprises me that there is not more promotion for this major event. Someone will step up to the plate..Don't worry. There is too much money to be lost in marketing of cars and F1 schtuff to lose the US race for any length of time. The Texas motorspeedway has thrown itself in the mix. But without corp sponsors to pick-up the advertising/marketing tab, I dont think Bernie will sign off on any place. Thats just my opinion, I could be wrong.
As I have said in other threads about this, I am 100% confident that Vegas is BY FAR the best place for F1 here in the States. That said, I am NOT a fan of the idea of a "street race"... rather, I would like to see brand new state of the art track near the strip built with casino money (that they would make back in new visitors because of it). Unfortunately however, a track of such "quality" would take several years of red tape and construction time before we would ever see a race on it. So until then, the US is in a tough spot.
