No USGP this year? Austin health official says "no"

Don't look good for the USGP without fans to foot the bill.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/united-states-gp-2020/

Austin’s senior public health official has said that there will likely be no large events in the city until 2021, putting the United States GP in doubt.

The race is still scheduled for October 25 as Formula 1 continues to piece together a new calendar for 2020.

However, Austin is only at Stage 3 of its reopening plan after lockdown which allows a maximum of 10 “low risk” people to gather. The city would have to progress to Stage 1 before major events could be looked at.

And Dr Mark Escott, the interim medical director and the health authority for Austin Public Health, has suggested that such events probably won’t be allowed for the rest of the year, putting the United States GP in major doubt.

“The large events are the first thing that we turned off and are going to be the last thing we’re going to turn back on because of that risk of exposing lots of people to one another, particularly individuals of the same household,” he told the Austin-Statesman.


The Circuit of the Americas, which hosts the United States Grand Prix, is still closed. But it did host a charity event earlier this month where members of the public paid to drive a lap of the track.

Although Formula 1 are looking at behind-closed-doors racing, COTA’s hosting fee is underwritten by the Texas State Major Events Trust Fund programme, with race visitors then bringing money to the city and paying local taxes.

So even if a race without fans was approved by the local authorities, it wouldn’t qualify for state funding.

 

The track will need to decide who much pain to share with Liberty in terms of funding. I hope they race there and if no fans so be it. Thats the real issue as you highlight in the article.

 

They made the mistake of holding a race in Texas in the City that is the least like Texas. Lay out a course in Lubbock, Midland, or Odessa and it will be run.

 

The issue is money no matter the location in that State. No state funds from what the link says. Fan free wont work for the promoter it appears. The medical source appears to think it would be with fans?

 

They made the mistake of building the best race track in North America.

 

It makes perfect sense.

If Liberty wants a GP without spectators, it should pay for it.

They have that same issue with several locations.

 

I don't see how the USA can host a race when it has the highest number of infections and deaths in the world.

 

I haven't been following closely, is it possible they will cancel the season altogether?

 

Won’t the governor just override that decision? He overrode the city level mask rules...and said all Texas law must abide by his decrees.

im not knocking him. Just I would think it can go if the governor says go.

Robb

 

That’s if you believe China’s numbers. And how is that relevant anyway?

 

What does that mean?

 

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

I can't see how the UK can have a race when it has a death rate double the USA per capita.

 

Of course not. China probably has the highest in the world, and everything is hidden.

 

I mean, would people really travel and go see the race? Would there be medical stuffs, marshals, etc?

 

I don't see a US GP happening this year, alas.

 

Montreal’s still not in hand, they reversed course a day ago to keep the schools closed until September. Don’t see a re-schedule occurring.

 

Most countries cheat on their figures, for a matter of prestige.
No government wants to look bad and incompetent dealing with a crisis.
It's just like reporting a war from the front; each side understate its casualties, not to panic its population.
Modern communication methods, TV, Internet and social media have just allowed more fake news.

"Don't trust anything you hear or read, and only half of what you see yourself". This old adage is more true every day

 

The Nancy Boys running Austin hate F1 and anything to do with cars. To them, car racing is like bullfighting.

This is the first shot across the bow. 2021 is a long way away. Who wins in November will have a lot to say about auto racing in the US.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Earlier I was planning on going to either the Canadian or USGP this year, looks like neither is an option

 

I am not even going to dignify a response to this

Waiting for your apology.....

 

They made the mistake of building COTA in one of the fastest growing, most entertaining, and best places to live in the whole country.

Have you been to Lubbock? How would they pony up the $25M, that might be bigger than their entire yearly budget.
Midland is in an oil implosion right now, and Odessa is simply Midland south.

 

huh?

 

I personally prefer this quote:

'Never trust anything posted over the Internet' - Abraham Lincoln

 

I don't see a USGP this year, the US government is totally overwhelmed by everything that is going on worldwide and in the US, there just isn't the competence in the white house now to set up a task force to evaluate the first GP's of the year and their anti virus plan safety level (Austria X2 just approved by the Austrian government, Hungary, hopefully UK etc) and then decide by early September.

There will be disfunctional miscommunication for a few months complicated by massively over complicated visa issues for the team/paddock people who will be in the US less than ONE week and then...because of an absolute lack of clear govt response no USGP this year...sad as Austin is a great track and venue.