New Jersey confirms 2013 F1 street race plans

2013 F1 calendar

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Keke Rosberg on his way to victory at Detroit in 1985

Plans for a second Grand Prix in the United States of America were formally announced today.

A street race at New Jersey will join the F1 calendar in 2013 with the title Grand Prix of America.

It will join the Unites States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas which is due to join the calendar next year. It will potentially increase the number of races on the F1 calendar in 2013 to 21.

The event organisers confirmed a ten-year deal to hold the race and revealed the revised 5.15km (3.2 mile) clockwise street circuit:

The USA last held two F1 races in 1984, when street races in Detroit and Dallas were held within two weeks of each other.

F1 in New York

Image © Williams/LAT

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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169 comments on “New Jersey confirms 2013 F1 street race plans”

  1. I took this screen shot during the press conference, in case anyone hasn’t seen it already (showing elevation changes of the proposed circuit): http://t.co/ZNh5epfl

    Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go back to being incoherently excited. :-D

    1. I don’t know if it’s just me but I can’t access the picture

      1. Hmm. Here’s a different link (the other one was on Twitter).

    2. vid of the track(last part shown is now different)

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adtIiPQiI5Q

      1. Thank you and thank you @aka_robyn for sharing with. The uphill section reminds me of Monaco though i’m sure it won’t be as tight a squeeze up there.

      2. @asd fantastic video!

        Unfortunatley the spate of rubbish new tracks has made me rather cautious when it comes to new circuits but if thats really the track it looks bloody excellent!

        Flowing, elevated quick, bit like Canada?

        1. @scribe – between the shape and the elevation, it’s probably going to be a lot like the Montreal circuit if it were build over the top of Spa. With (virtually) no run-off – the only run-off area across the top of the circuit is an escape road at the end of JFK Boulevard.

      3. Fantastic work

    3. Great looking track. The top section is incredible, and the shore section isn’t as loaded with 90′ bends as most street circuits.

    4. Generally, when such 3D views are made, the elevation is shown at a 5x scale. In the sense, if you see a 1m elevation in the map, you are probably going to see 0.2m in real life.

      So, do take this image with a pinch of salt :)

      1. sumedh, the cliffs along the Hudson River – known as the Palisades – are 300 hundred feet (that’s just over 91 metres) at Weehawken, where the race will take place. By comparison, Eau Rouge is 138 feet (42 metres) from bottom to top. So the total elevation across the Port Imperial circuit will be more than double the elevation in Formula 1’s most famous corner.

        So even if the elevations are exaggerated in the image, they’re still pretty extreme.

  2. Dumb question: isn’t there some kind of rule against more than one GP per country?

    1. no of course not, spain has two currently and the us had 3, yes 3 in 1982.

      austin will be united states grand prix
      jersey will be grand prix of america

      1. I don’t know why they don’t simply call it the US GP East like they used. Seems far less confusing and arbitrary.

        1. @joey-poey – because “United States Grand Prix East” is the unofficial name of the “United States Grand Prix”.

          I actually think it would make more sense to name the race in Austin the “Grand Prix of the Americas”, since the circuit is known as the Circuit of the Americas. That way, the New Jersey circuit can be the United States Grand Prix.

          1. I agree, Austin is much more centrally located in America than New Jersey is. Too bad they didn’t get this race sorted out in time to be announced before Austin.

      2. Love the irony

        United States Grand Prix will be held at Circuit of the Americas
        While
        Grand Prix of the Americas will be held in NJ. :-)

        1. They should name the track the ‘United States Circuit.’

    2. Of course not. There are two GP’s in Spain right now.

      1. But they’re not both billed as being Spanish. One is the Spanish Grand Prix, and the other is the European. The idea behind the European Grand Prix is to have an extra race in Europe that is rotated through various circuits. To date, it’s been at Jerez, Donington, the Nurburgring and now Valencia.

        1. And likewise these won’t both be billed as US, one will be the Grand Prix of America, which isn’t that different from the European Grand Prix, although America is two continents…

    3. The USA had three races in ’82 and ’83.

  3. The seating looks crappy, but for TV it looks epic. All of it is riverside. I don’t think it will allow for good viewing up on the hill from down there.

    1. Well you can’t see casino square from the harbor side grandstands at Monaco and that doesn’t seem to have hurt them any over the years.

      1. Indeed, street circuits rarely have wide lines of sight. It’s the nature of the beast.

    2. I dunno, it looks like having a race partly round an industrial estate, partly round a car park and partly round some people’s fairly narrow residential street.

      It doesn’t excite me at all. Sorry.

  4. Valencia out – New Jersey in

    1. Hopefully, but unlikely

      1. Valencia hasn’t really been enough of a successs for the town to keep it I don’t think.

    2. As you pointed out some track may have to leave us. Which it will be will influence my decision on whether I’m in favour or not of this track.

    3. This. Exactly this.

  5. And here’s a picture of the track map they presented http://twitpic.com/75oy3b/full – If it ever comest to that, @aka_robyn, how many of us could you have over at your place for a F1F meetup at that race ;-)

    1. It’s a decent-sized apartment, @BasCB. Party at my place in 2013! ;-)

      1. Yeah, I imagine the total cost of attending this race would be immense if one required a hotel room. Austin is nearer me, so I’ll see how $$ that is first :-P

        1. @S-D Yeah, hotels are generally the killer for me. If I end up not being able to go to Austin, that will be the reason! (And you’re right — hotels around here are not cheap.)

      2. @aka_robyn We need to figure out how to ingratiate ourselves with someone in one of the trackside apartment buildings with a high floor balcony. From there you ought to be able to see pretty much everything. I’ll bring the chips, dip, and beer…

        1. I agree, that’s really the best plan! At least we have a while to figure out how to do it…

    2. My Gram lives on 3rd and 85th in Manhattan…

      My grandfather also served on the Intrepid (across the river), maybe I can get a seat there :)

  6. YEEEEEEESSSS
    This is how I know there God Loves us. Its a long time since the COTD on this topic. https://www.racefans.net/2010/05/06/f1-fanatic-round-up-652010/

    Waves of justification, excitement, enthusiasm, and bliss cascade over my mind like the high tide.

    1. @javlinsharp I’m really exited for you, I bet you’re over the moon!

  7. Incredible news!

    I’m really, really excited by this. I’m almost certain I will go. Is there any particular website I should follow to keep up with developments?

    This would be like 2 birds with 1 stone for me. I’d live to visit New York and it seems that major attractions would be accessible enough too.

    The track looks good to me. Nowhere near as many right angles as Singapore and some nice elevation change. Remind me of Monaco dare I say it.

    1. “Two birds with one stone” Couldn’t agree more

    2. I plan on it. I’d love to try and make a road trip out of it and hit up Montreal as well, but we’ll have to see how my finances are come 2013.

    3. I’m going too.

  8. I was hoping it would be anti-clockwise, for some reason it seemed better that way.

    1. Do we know which way the race will be run?

      1. @scribe

        5.15km (3.2 mile) clockwise street circuit

        1. @Keith woops! Brain fade, hmm, I think that probably looks better for overtaking on long straight hair pin principle.

    2. Makes me wonder – Which current F1 circuits would be better going in the other direction?

      1. The Nurburgring might not be “better” if run in reverse, but it would certainly be interesting.

      2. All the tracks should alternate each year from clockwise to anticlockwise. It would double the fun.

        Most likely not practical but really would be heaps fun.

  9. For F1 as a whole this is good news. And for those F1F actually living in that area as well.
    For me as TV audience… I’m sceptic. I know there are contracts, but if they could stop Valencia and then have this, then I would be more excited.

  10. It’s so surreal. I don’t quite think I’ve come to terms with the fact that there’ll be TWO Grands Prix in the USA in two years time – let alone a race at all!

    I thought F1 days in America may have been all but over, especially after 2007. I was very surprised and excited when news broke about Austin but I’m even more surprised an even more excited by this news. New Jersey? Really? It really is happening? Wow.

    I hope people in the area get excited by the news and I really do hope things all work out. The USA and all of her F1 Fanatics deserve a Grand Prix and deserve a good one at that. Two is a bonus. I’d love to go and watch it myself. Like @AndrewTanner says – New York AND F1? Two birds, one stone indeed.

    1. Exactly how I feel. I’ve been to NYC once. Short trip for a couple of days in the winter. Despite the snow it was an absolutely fantastic city. This is a great opportunity. Take in the sights of NYC and a F1 Grand Prix. Nothing much gets better than that.
      Well maybe to expect a friendly smile off a New Yorker. ;)

  11. This is brilliant. The track looks good, which is hard for street circuits, the backdrop will be amazing and it will do what IndyCar has recognised is the best way to further the sport in America – bring it right to their doorstep, right next to America’s most famous city. This could really be the breakthrough F1 has been looking for for decades.

    1. @icthyes I know not many people get sentimental when it comes to Ecclestone, but he has been pushing for this for decades. This is the crown in his jewel as far as he’s concered and i’m very, very grateful.

    2. IT actually looks like a real track so far. Not a track plonked down in the middle of nowhere.

      Who’s building it?

      1. Tilke.

        1. …tracing the line the roads already form is hardly building it ;-) He’ll make sure there’s lots of shiny facilities to go with it though.

          1. Looks like he’ll be profiling the first 2 corners. As long as he doesn’t find somewhere to add a triple chicane too.

  12. Awesome that’s what im talking about, looking forward to 2013 already :). Anyway is there anychance for F1 to have a racetrack near-beach, overlooking the beach maybe Hawaii etc in the future?

  13. IT really does look like an Americanised Monaco… which to me is fantastic. Has some wide bits, some windy bits, a really nice looking hairpin, and a greta overall setting and backdrop. Much better than some random track in the middle of a concrete sprawl with nothing but right angles. Perfect! The Austin track looks like a great one too, even India I think has a good look to it.

    All we need now, as every other F1 fan/commentator has aid is to get rid of the hideous Valencia track which has brought absolutely nothing to the sport other than Webbers dramatic crash! We better not lose Spa cos Valencia won’t budge to accommodate this NY circuit!

    1. @davidhunter13 – it is believed that, from 2013, Spa will alternate with Paul Ricard in France.

      1. Isn’t that official already?

        1. Not yet.

  14. Im an F1 freak and I live in Weehawken. guess how I feel?

    The place its just perfect, I go out at night for a walk everyday and the view its simply unbeatable. I feel like they are going to race in my backyard.

    1. Hopefully there will be some info on places where we’ll be able to watch the events without having to pay exorbitant
      prices.

      Maybe a little rowboat on the river :)

    2. In August I spent 15 minutes in that ferry terminal waiting for friends to pick me up. But you live there…cool. NYC is always great to visit. I was supposed to meet friends at Lincoln Harbor Sheratan and the closest I could get was that terminal (I kinda screwed up where I got off). So now I’m excited kind of knowing that area.

      1. So we’re both kind of lucky. I live in Austin. What are the development plans around the track, if any? Is it completely surrounded by apartments and residential? I can’t really tell from the photos.

    3. I grew up in Palisades Park. I drove on River Road all the time and frequented the ferry port. For those who don’t know, the main straight will be right next to a cliff. It is going to look and sound EPIC! Imagine the roar of F1 engines echoing off the cliffs across the river into NYC!!!!!! :D :D :D

    4. The same as I because I live just outside Austin.

  15. I just watched the news conference and wish all the best those who have worked so hard to get this thing off the ground. Makes me wonder what current event will now fall into the history books as a former Grand Prix. Couldn’t help but think of Australia due in part to the complaints of local government and their financial situation. If not them, then who?? Valencia?? Germany, Hockenheim in particular??
    I also noted that this initial meeting with the press was kind of a mess in that no questions could be heard and the Governor sort of acted like he was at a comedy roast. The press asked many kinds of silly questions all of which made them out as lacking pretty much any knowledge of what Formula One is even about.
    The event was being paraded as not costing any money to be put on, very safe , little impact to the surrounding communities , crowds of 100,000 or more and surely to bring $100 million dollars in revenue and would do it year after year.
    No one asked the question ” How loud will it be??” Pretty damn loud and will certainly be underestimated. That is why we like F1…

    1. I remember walking to the island in Montreal a little late for FP1 and I felt like I was already standing next to the track. The cars were sooo loud. Little did I know my ears would be maxing out like a $10 microphone. Earplugs are a fantastic investment, just don’t buy them at the track :).

  16. Well its great to have not only another Grand Prix in USA but the fact that the track is another Street Circuit.

    But yet again Concerns that linger is would it turn out to be the failure Valencia currently is? How are Teams especially low budget ones such as Virgin & HRT are going to cope with Travel & other Expenses? Furthermore,How are we going to fit all other potential races that are currently stalemate or have ongoing plans such us Russia,Mexico,Return to France & i believe South Africa as well into a ever more expanding F1 season that ranges between March – November surely Drivers & Teams dont want to spend Xmas away from their families & relatives

    Unless of course we include more back 2 back weekends which refers back to my previous statement,Its going to be incredibly stressful for the Drivers & Teams and this rule about ‘a country not having more than 2 Grand Prix’ is slowly becoming distant & pointless with the confirmation of another US Grand Prix.

    1. How will the teams afford it? Same way they do in cities like Monaco and Singapore I imagine.

    2. a ever more expanding F1 season that ranges between March – November surely Drivers & Teams dont want to spend Xmas away from their families & relatives

      The calendar won’t spill over into December.

      Some races will be replaced. If Bahrain does not happen in 2012, it may not happen again for a long time (if at all). The contracts for Valencia and Singapore will expire before 2013, while South Korea has expressed dissatisfaction. So Russia, Mexico, South Africa and New Jersey could easily slide in, taking their places if all of them do not negotiate new contracts. As for France, it is believed that they will share with Spa the way the German Grand Prix alternates between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring.

      But even if all the current races remain on the calendar, and all the bid nations want to join, it’s possible to arrange a twenty-four or twenty-five race calendar. The season might start in march, but it does not actually start until the second half of March, so there’s two weeks lying around there. And the four-week mid-season break could be cur down to two. All it would take is a few strategic back-to-back races (ie Australia/Malaysia – Malaysia and Singapore won’t like being put together – Korea/Shanghai, Abu Dhabi/Bahrain, Montreal/New Jersey, Austin/Mexico, Argentina/Brazil, Spain/Monaco and Germany/Hungary – that’s sixteen rounds) and it is perfectly feasible.

  17. Anybody notice the grandstands after the pits and how it faces ?? Seems like it is intended to view the run up to the top of the hill. Can anyone who knows the area comment on that?? Also could not tell where the pit exit is and wonder if its like Korea…who knows??

    1. It looks like the pit exit is the road that runs around the outside of the run off for the first corner. It joins the circuit after turn 2.

  18. Loving it.

  19. Ho Hum here is my pennys worth. Another street circuit in an age where run off areas are the vouge, another circuit that has nothing to do with racing but money, another circuit that will deny a true classic a place in the racing calender, another circuit that will be composed off corners that dont make sense after we scrutinize them, another circuit like all the new circuits ie………..crap.

    1. your complaints make no sense to me.

    2. Another street circuit in an age where run off areas are the vouge

      The only run-off will be along the waterfront. There is almost none up across the Palisades.

      another circuit that will deny a true classic a place in the racing calender

      By the time New Jersey is ready, Valencia will be up for a new contract. And we’ll all mourn that loss.

      1. How there are any reamaining tracks in Spain is a mystery to me, along with Hockenheim(whats that all about?)

    3. Much of what you wrote I agree with. Money is the key here and when I first heard about it I kind of had that “New Jersey ???” moment….why there of all places? Seems like the influence of the all mighty dollar is responsible for opening the idea and concept of what now appears to be the second American round in 2013.

      1. Money is always a major factor.

      2. f1 has been tainted by the love of money? WHY GOD WHY?? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

  20. Well, I really liked the circuit. But, where’s the space alongside the track to place all the security members and their stuff, so they can get faster to the place of a supposed accident?

  21. I like the idea, and the elevation look epic – but I’m not a fan of the ninety-degree corners along the front stretch. Especially when there is another road the could have used that would have been faster.

  22. So for people that live in or nearby the area of the track.

    What’s it like for suitable accomodation, nightlife, safety, transport?

    1. it’s effectively new york city. 24 hours a day, there’s an abundance of hotels, restaurants, nightlife and transportation. it’s far safer now than ever before – your mileage may vary.

      1. Indeed. New Jersey is a major residential centre for Manhattan. Maybe nor as big as the four other boroughs of New York City, but there are twenty million people living in the Greater New York Metropolitain Area, which includes Hudson County.

        1. Five boroughs, not four. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island.

          1. I know. I said “the other four boroughs”, since I had already mentioned Manhattan. I’ve become very familiar with New York geography of late.

  23. So Russia, New Jersey and (possibly) France look like joining the F1 calendar over the next few years… As 20 Grand Prix seems to be the de facto limit in one season what races are going to give way? Bahrain and Valencia seem like two obvious choices. What other circuits are considered threatened? Australia? Hungary? Korea already?

    1. It’s difficult to judge what will go and what will say. The fans are naturally biased towards losing unpopular circuits, but there has been no real word on what will go and what will stay.

  24. Ugh. Coming from a person who has been to nearly every major in the Northeast United States this is by far the worst location for a grand prix. New York is the most overrated city I can think of. Philadelphia would have been a much more scenic location with a fantastic set of roads around the Art Museum. Jersey and New York are just…well boring to put in blunt.

    Sorry, but I’m just not very fond of the New York and northern NJ area.

  25. So, we know that the race will be named, but is there any word on the circuit name? The recent addition of circuits have all had fairly boring names, like “Shanghai International Circuit”, “Korean International Circuit” and “Bahrain International Circuit”. They’re all very uninspiring names, compared to the likes of “Buddh”, “Interlagos” and “Silverstone”, which have a kind of personality to them.

    Since the circuit is centred on Port Imperial, I think something like “Port Imperial Circuit” would be a good name. And overnight, I’ve learned that the cliff face the cars will race along is known as the Hudson Palisades, so maybe something like “Palisades Circuit” would also be a good name.

    1. “Port Imperial Circuit”

      LOL …. yeah that sounds absolutely fantastic!

    2. Do they name temporary street circuits? I wasn’t aware of Monaco, Singapore, or Valencia as having circuit names. I know Montreal does, but that’s more of a semi-permanent circuit.

      1. They do. Monaco is officially known as the “Circuit de Monaco”. Valencia is the very imaginitive “Valencia Street Circuit”, while Singapore is “Marina Bay Street Circuit”. They’re just commonly known as Monaco, Valencia and Singapore, because they are the cities the circuits are located in.

        The reason why I was asking was because the Wikipedia page needed to be made. If there was an official name for the circuit, it would have made life easier. Since there isn’t (as yet), we just used “Port Imperial Street Circuit” for the title of the article, because Port Imperial was the nearest geographical feature to the start/finish line.

        1. Okay, now that you mention those they do all sound familiar.

        2. Monaco. Spa-Francorchamps. Montreal. Valencia. Weehawken.

  26. The 7 right angles look sensational!

  27. If I sail my yacht through the Panama Canal can I pull up to the Jersey shoreline and watch the race from there?? Will there be any waterfront restrcitions??

  28. jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
    26th October 2011, 1:17

    I can’t believe nobody has thought about the implications this will have for the after race party, we might get Bruce Springsteen to perform after the GP. If thats happening, I am so going to be there!

    1. Lol, MC’d by Snooky?

      1. jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
        26th October 2011, 4:18

        I seriously hope not, although Bernie might like the idea of someone being there thats shorter than him

    1. Thanks for the video, but it’s not quite right. The circuit turns off Port Imperial Blvrd. much sooner before looping around to the bridge over the highway.

      1. @prisoner-monkeys, if you look on Google maps, the actual circuit doesnt layout exactly over existing roads, so that’s probably as close as person can come to legally driving the circuit currently without doing a little offroading.

        @xmurrx thanks for posting, that video’s great, but what it’s the ’80s ski montage music? That needs to be slightly sped up and have the music replaced with F1 engine sounds, now that would be funny. The car in front on the uphill section made me immediately think “Fernando. Is. Faster. Than. You. Can you confirm you understood the message?”. Then I thought it might just be Jarno holding everyone up in a Trulli-train.

        1. @us_peter – the organisers have said they won’t actually be building any new roads for the event; the whole circuit is made up of existing roads. I did, however, find this image online, a semi-hypothetical design based on a description on the planned route that appeared in another online blog. I think that image matches up perfectly with the route in the video.

          1. @prisoner-monkeys that doesn’t quite look like the supposed official rendering: http://twitpic.com/75oy3b which I think probably is real as it actually shows the pit entry/exit, runoffs, etc. Based on that I made a gmap to get an idea of elevation: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5158095

    2. Kerbs need to be fixed for the race, though, right now one piece runs across the track :-)

  29. I don’t think Bernie or FOTA will have 21 races to make way for the 2nd USA GP I hope they drop Valencia.

    1. Races cannot simply be dropped at will. New Jersey will replace a race that is either a) out of contract, or b) breaks its contract.

  30. How long will it be before we see #Occupy Pit Lane?

    1. Well, let’s hope some of those issues have been addressed before 2013.

    2. Come on down to Austin, they are already threatening to occupy the CotA because of this “No Tax Payer Money” quote in New Jersey

  31. Looks quite similar to the Macau circuit/Grand Prix, with the seaside low part and the uphill section…

    1. exactly my toughts! and i think macau its the best track ever!

  32. I think the most interesting corner on the circuit is going to be the natural chicane at the top of Pershing Road. It’s going to be right at the top of the the half-kilometre hillclimb, and opens out onto John F. Kennedy Boulevard; JFK is a series of sweepers and ends with a braking zone (and overtaking point) at Donnelly Memorial Park. So I think the chicane will be the most crucial corner on the circuit, the point where the most lap time can be found. It looks slow, but I think the drivers are going to take it at or near full throttle if they can.

  33. OMG almost universal love/approval from the F1Fanatics. This track must be good.

    Is it me or does is seem that elevation is the key to exciting circuits for most commenting here.

    Personally elevation including overpasses really do trigger my “that’s way cool” inner child.

    1. So true. As a kid I loved the game of Life for the little plastic hills that your little car would travel up and over around the board.

  34. Larger version of the map. Check out the first few corners: there’s grandstands on either side. I just wish they’d smooth the final corner out to be like the last corner in Melbourne. And Turn 3 looks like a nice, fast flick onto a very narrow bridge.

  35. Thanks for the photos and info about the JerseyF1 site. As the comments have come in , info provided is starting to clear up some details that I missed earlier…This might be better than I first thought…thanks to everybody.

  36. Well, the track seems to be very fast and demanding, those elevations could be interesting and I can appreciate two corners where overtaking could be possible. But the best part is that its really fast so it could be a good track. By the way, the views are excellent.

    I really hope that this GP will receive a huge support from the people of the area. And this is a question for the north americans of this blog, Do you really think that this race will be a success??

    The only thing I dont like is that some resources say that some years this race could replace Montreal, and being(in my opinion) the canadian track simply awesome this would be a blasphemy for me! :(

    1. And this is a question for the north americans of this blog, Do you really think that this race will be a success??

      @Alain It’s hard to say, but I’m going to stay optimistic. :-) When the promoters of the Senna movie partnered with SpeedTV to show the British GP at a bar in Manhattan — and this event started at 7:00 am on a Sunday morning here — that was a big bar, and it was packed. I think everyone was surprised by the huge turnout.

      I’m hoping that (a) the large number of people living in this metropolitan area who are from countries where F1 *is* quite popular and (b) the ease with which people from other fairly heavily populated cities nearby on the East Coast can get to NYC will result in this GP being a big success. Fingers crossed.

      That said, I hope this GP doesn’t interfere in any way with the Canadian GP, which is one of the major highlights of the calendar!

      1. There are twenty million people living in the Greater New York Metropolitain Area – the five boroughs of New York City, plus the New Jersy side of the Hudson River. In order to get a sell-out crowd, the Grand Prix of America would need 100,000 people, or just 0.005% of the local population.

        1. Well, that’s larger than the average attendance at a New York Jets or Giants game — but, then again, the GP will be only once a year, so I’m not sure what to compare it with around here. Hmm. Daily attendance at the US Open seems to hover around 27,000, on average.

          If only 0.005% of the people I knew here were F1 fans — or even had a good idea what F1 was! I’d be a happy woman. ;-)

          1. Oh, sorry, that US Open figure is session attendance, not daily attendance! http://m.usopen.org/en_US/about/history/rec_attend.html

        2. *ahem* Don’t think 0.005% of 20,000,000 is 100,000

          I make it nearer to 5%… But I still get your point..

      2. @aka_robyn You can also factor in people travelling for the race. I’ll be coming from Seattle, and others here have already expressed interest in traveling from the UK and Europe, as they would like to visit NYC anyhow, and this doubles their motive to do so. So between out of towners and the large numbers of fans in the city, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they can sell out or come close. We’ll see!

        1. Yeah, it would be a good “excuse” to visit NYC, I have never visited your country, mainly because of the annoying “custom procedures” we have to suffer to enter in the USA.

  37. I thought I’d check the local news web site to see what sort of fuss was made of this news.
    Front page on http://www.nj.com and there’s nowt. News, even F1, is just yesterdays news for NJ. However, pop over to a more specific county ‘Hudson’ and there it is in all it’s glory.
    Fantastic track maps showing the proposed grandstands and pits complex in it too.
    http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/10/christie_announces_formula_one.html

  38. i hope they make the 2 US races back to back. that way you can watch one GP and have a Top Gear style road trip to NY to watch the second. wow what a great holiday. l already cant wait.

    1. They did this in the eighties, trucking down from Montreal to Detroit. Later they extended it to include Mexico City. Quite a trip!

      1. Montreal to NJ to Austin would be great if they ordered it that way (Though I’d expect Montreal-Austin-NJ just to be awkard, if they did even have them back-to-back).

        Montreal to Mexico City would just be amazing, how about Montreal to Interlagos? :D

  39. Next to Hamilton Park! hahahaha

  40. I wonder if we could get the USA National anthem as “sung” by an F1 engine a la http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JPBdBIFGNQ.

    …o’re the land of the Freeee… Bouncing off 18k rev limiter… epic

  41. I’m sorry, I just can’t get excited at the prospect of another race in a country that F1 doesn’t really belong in, while we’re having races come in from Korea, India, Russia, Argentina, South Africa and all the others..

    There is only 1 exciting street circuit. Valencia isn’t a street circuit, and Singapore only has the backdrop to it’s credit. No street circuit can rival Monaco, so why bother?

    1. @KeeleyObsessed We’ve had American world champions, American race winners and 52 rounds of the world championship in America. The second largest group of F1 Fanatic users by nationality is American.

      If F1 doesn’t belong in America, then where does it belong?

      1. @KeeleyObsessed Basically, what Keith said.

        I’m all for F1 expanding to new countries, as long as there is genuine enthusiasm for F1 there and we don’t lose too many of the tradition nations that have a rich F1 heritage as a result.

        The USA clearly deserves a race because of its rich F1 heritage. Your argument about another street circuit is a lot more legitimate, I feel, but nothing’s ever going to replace Monaco so I’m happy to have further street circuits compliment it on the calendar as long as they are good, exciting tracks.

      2. But having a second race in America just doesn’t make sense.. F1 is supposed to be a GLOBAL sport, (Yes, I’m disappointed about the 2 Spanish GPs aswell, even calling Valencia the ‘European GP’ doesn’t change anything in my view)

        The last American driver was Scott Speed, who I believe raced for Toro Rosso in his last season (2006? Or 2007?) and didn’t particularly cause much of a stir in the same way as Kobayashi/Sato for Japan or even Petrov for Russia.

        The Texas GP is brilliant to bring F1 to the US, but we don’t need another one in NY. Particularly with all these new races coming in recently, and in the near future..

        1. Not used these @ tags before… Urrm..

          @Keith-Collantine
          @Magnificent-Geoffrey

          Gotta hope that works…

      3. I am of the belief that F1 belongs where the fans are but FOM are of the belief that F1 belongs where the money is. If the rumors are true and we are about to lose Belgium to a sharing agreement with France then this is absolutely tragic.

        1. @MJRoberts55 Nor do I wish to lose Spa but I’m not blaming New Jersey for it (however repugnant that MTV programme is).

    2. Yes, please, I second Keith’s question: I’m anxious to be enlightened as to where F1 does belong.

    3. Chris Goldsmith
      26th October 2011, 17:11

      There are plenty of places which could create street circuits to rival Monaco. Maybe not in exactly the same ways as Monaco, but in terms of sheer spectacle. Imagine a Tokyo night race bathed in neon, or a London race against a backdrop of the houses of parliament and buckingham palace. Plenty of places can deliver lots which races like Monaco can’t – close wheel to wheel races being one of them. F1 is about technology, and about the future, at least as much as it is about the past. What makes racing better than so many other sports is that the venue is always different, and always presenting a new challenge.

      F1 belongs anywhere there’s a circuit which is technically demanding, produces good racing, and there’s enough of a demand to fill the grandstands. Why does F1 belong in North America? Because for all the sponsors, and all the factory-backed manufacturers, North America is one of the biggest commercial markets for them. If the sponsors see a good return, then that’s ultimately what keeps the sport going. And that can never ever be bad for F1.

      1. It’s impossible to create anything that could rival a track like Monaco or Spa, these circuits are illegal by modern FIA standards for new circuits.

        1. Chris Goldsmith
          26th October 2011, 17:23

          In the case of Monaco, you may have a point – nobody is going to approve a race in such a tight, twisting area where you can get very few spectators. Monaco’s popularity is about 70% down to nostalgia factor. Every year Monaco serves up a predictable race where the person on pole almost always wins, and drivers sit frustrated behind slower cars with no chance to pass. Of course, there’s always the close proximity of the barriers, and there is something to be said for the sight of a top driver like Hamilton or Kubica wringing everything out of their car, dancing the rear wnd through the turns and leaving the tyre logo plastered on the barriers, but we tolerate the processional racing because, well, it’s Monaco isn’t it!

          Spa on the other hand, I can’t see any reason why there would be any problem building another Spa. The characteristics of tracks like Spa or Monza aren’t the flavour of the day in terms of track design, with more thought being given to maximising the spectator areas than seeing how fast the cars can go, but Spa does comply with all modern requirements in terms of runoff areas and safety. The only reason they don’t make more like that is because it’s an old fashioned track which doesn’t fit with the current vision of the future of F1. I don’t agree with that, personally, and would rather have a season of five Spas than a hundred Bahrains, but that’s the way it is. Sadly.

      2. F1 doesn’t belong to the US any more than it belongs to the UK, Australia, Korea, India or Zimbabwe.. No country should have more than 1 GP.. Regardless of money or the power it can wield over the rest of the world..

        I’d love F1 to return to Brands Hatch, as it’s a lovely track and it’s easier for me to get to. But if they announce tomorrow that there will be a 2nd British GP at Brands Hatch to be held alongside Silverstone then I’ll react in the exact same way.

        1. Chris Goldsmith
          26th October 2011, 17:29

          But why? That’s what I don’t understand about what you’re saying. Why are you saying it’s more valid for F1 to go to some Emirate state where there will be no more than a couple of hundred people in the grandstands, who lose interest after the first race, than to put races in places where there will be thousands of eager fans who will come back year after year?

          F1 should be anywhere that there’s a passion for the top level of motorsport which is sustainable for years. That’s the US in a nutshell. And it’s a big enough place that you can have two different races with totally distinct venues with their own unique atmosphere, their own type of fans, hell even their own time zones. North America is huge. Huge country, huge market, huge fans.

    4. @keeleyobsessed how you dare naming Argentina as one of those places F1 doesn’t belong to?

      Just shows what your saying lacks any kind of logic and common sense. Argentina, as USA, belongs to F1

      1. @Fer-no.65 No country has the right to have 2 GPs in their country. Whether it’s America, Spain, or any country. I merely picked out a few examples.

        My point is that if a country has 1 GP, it shouldn’t try and get another. If they were to alternate it between circuits (much like Germany has) then I’d be fine with it, but having 2 GPs in the same country is just wrong in my opinion.

        When it comes to deciding which races will have to go, that’s an entirely different argument..

        1. @keeleyobsessed seems you changed your arguement then, because you said that “USA didn’t belong to F1”.

          I can agree with you about the “2 races in the same country” issue, tho.

  42. The only thing that matters is how much FOM are charging the promoters to host the event. The higher value the less successful this event will be. In an ideal world FOM would charge nothing, so the tickets could be dirt cheap but sadly we don’t live in that world.

  43. I only need to save US$10.00 a day for a year to be able to go to New Jersey! Yay for me!!!!! (This expecting the ticket wont cost me more than US$650)

  44. F1 belongs in America. At Watkins Glen.

  45. I’ve read only a few of the comments here and I must say to those who believe the USA don’t deserve an F1 race because there is no interest….well, let me tell you something: I’m from the USA and I’ve been an F1 fan since 1999. The F1 fanbase in the USA may not be as big as those in Europe, Asia, etc, but nevertheless, there are F1 fans in the USA.

    The USA was basically put to shame after the events of the 2005 USGP at Indy (which I attended) and many fans here wondered if F1 would ever come back to Indy or any other city after that year. We finally got our wish when the announcement came that F1 is coming back to the USA in Austin, Texas.

    Some fans say the USA doesn’t deserve a second race. Well, for now I have to agree. The USA has much to do to redeem themselves in F1 after the nightmare of a GP in 2005 and the disappointment of the USF1 team and we hope the redemption will start with the 2012 USGP.

    I think it was a very brave move from Bernie to establish 2 races in the USA now. I think he should have waited a few more years once Texas gets settled in and then decide if the USA is ready to host a 2nd race.

    I do hope both races are successful and we shall see what happens! And I don’t want to read another comment saying “There are no fans in F1!”. We are out there; just have to look a bit harder to find us! ;)

    1. Indy did come back to F1 after the 2005 disaster – in 2006. And the fans showed up too – tons of them. Bottom line is that there are plenty of “racing” fans across the US – enough to support both races in Texas and NJ.

      The Middle East and Asian countries have had their run of glory so to speak over the past 10 years or so – and all I see are empty grandstands everywhere.

      1. I didn’t attend the USGP in 2006, but I was there in 2007 and the crowd was not as strong as how it was when they first came to Indy.

  46. Small error in my post. Meant to say at the end “There are no F1 fans in the USA!” My bad!

  47. I reckon there are enough circuits of F1 standard now that we should have a two season rotation, with the ‘classic’ circuits (Silverstone, Monaco, Spa, Monza etc.) every year, and everything else on swapping every year. That way we still get to see soon-to-depart circuits like Turkey, and maybe some recently departed circuits like Imola and Magny Cours.

    1. Yep, I agree. Bring back Imola and Magny-Cours. I wish that the A1 Ring was still around…

      Nevertheless, this is exciting news. Bring F1 to USA!

  48. Apartment for rent with track view.
    Anybody interested ?

    Location:
    Galaxy Condeminium Towers
    West New York, NJ

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