Ecclestone pleases Austin with late race date

Bernie Ecclestone today pleased Austin and surroundings by confirming that their Grand Prix is planned late in the 2012 season. The calendar was shuffled due to Bahrain's wishes to come at the end as well but still foresees in a favourable USGP date.

“I have been hoping for a late season race date since this project began and see this as a very positive sign from Formula One that it wants its U.S. event to be an over-the-top success,” said Tavo Hellmund, Chairman of the United States Grand Prix. “Mr. Ecclestone has dozens of competing issues to consider when it comes to the race calendar. He has to balance the interests of the teams with those of the promoters and even consider the unique situation of each host country. To put our race near the end of the schedule puts us in a prime spot to welcome the world next year – and I could not be more personally and professionally appreciative.”

In a statement released earlier today, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell praised the new race date and Formula One Management for its sensitivity to the area’s environmental quality. The proposed date also allows for an opportunity to optimize the project’s construction staffing and scheduling. “The Mayor’s input regarding Central Texas’ air quality during the summer months was obviously important to Formula One management, and to their credit, they listened and have responded,” said Steve Sexton, president of Circuit of The Americas™.

Sexton also commented on the additional benefits a November date offers, “First and foremost, we want our fans to have a great experience when they come here. The prospect of milder weather makes that more likely. It also gives us time to better prepare our staff and the thousands of volunteers who will be supporting Formula One race week festivities.”

Wayne Hollingsworth, a member of the Circuit Events Local Organizing Committee’s Board commented on the race date by saying, “Our application to the Event Trust Fund is complete and has been submitted. We appreciate the support the Comptroller’s staff has provided to us to make that possible. While we have not fully analyzed the implications of a potential change in race dates, we believe that any such change, if implemented by FIA, will not affect the eligibility of the Formula 1 Event for the Major Event Trust Fund, but would merely affect the timing. And if the event date does in fact change, per the statutory requirements, we will update our application based on the new date and look forward to receiving approval later this year.”